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STDs (Expert Forum)
Do I need more testing?
Answered by
Edward W Hook, MD - HIV Prevention, stds
Welcome to the STD Forum, which is intended only for questions and support pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV/AIDS, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus, genital warts, trichomonas, other vaginal infections, nongonoccal urethritis (NGU), cervicitis, molluscum contagiosum, chancroid, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.
Do I need more testing?
by curious278, Jul 01, 2009 11:34AM
In the summer of 2005 I fooled around no sex, just genital contact with a guy in june. In August about 60 days later I had what i thought to be a horrible yeast infection so i went to the gyn for the first time ever. He said could be yeast but a possibility it could be herpes cause it looked like i had a cut on the right wall of my vagina They took a culture which came back negative
Since then i have been on the pill and seem to always have issues with my vagina. Discharge, itching, burning, depending on the time of month but almost always some irritation. I have only had sex with one person in my whole life, not the guy who I had genital contact with, and he has only had sex with me, so if i do have herpes it would have been contracted from the guy in June 2005
I have seen my dr multiple times for this problem and he always says its yeast
On monday i started to get irritation again and itching came tuesday and i went to the Dr today. He again took a herpes culture and said that he doesnt really think i have it but just in case. The test results will be in monday. I asked him to get a blood test but he said it wouldnt really be worth it and the culture is better but would the culture be accurate if my symptoms started mondayafternoon and its now wednesday morning
I asked if he saw any sores and he said no what he thought was a cut but there was a lot of discharge that he wasnt even sure it was a cut.
what do you think the chances of my having herpes from the minimal skin to skin contact in June 2005
I have done a lot of research so correct me if im wrong but if i had contracted it in June 2005 wouldnt it have shown up before August 2005? Even if the primary outbreak was asymptomatic early wouldnt it not have been as bad or atleast only on one side of my body in August 2005
And do you think I should demand a blood test since it would show up in my system since my contact would only be in june 2005
Or do you think the culture will be accurate
thanks!
Since then i have been on the pill and seem to always have issues with my vagina. Discharge, itching, burning, depending on the time of month but almost always some irritation. I have only had sex with one person in my whole life, not the guy who I had genital contact with, and he has only had sex with me, so if i do have herpes it would have been contracted from the guy in June 2005
I have seen my dr multiple times for this problem and he always says its yeast
On monday i started to get irritation again and itching came tuesday and i went to the Dr today. He again took a herpes culture and said that he doesnt really think i have it but just in case. The test results will be in monday. I asked him to get a blood test but he said it wouldnt really be worth it and the culture is better but would the culture be accurate if my symptoms started mondayafternoon and its now wednesday morning
I asked if he saw any sores and he said no what he thought was a cut but there was a lot of discharge that he wasnt even sure it was a cut.
what do you think the chances of my having herpes from the minimal skin to skin contact in June 2005
I have done a lot of research so correct me if im wrong but if i had contracted it in June 2005 wouldnt it have shown up before August 2005? Even if the primary outbreak was asymptomatic early wouldnt it not have been as bad or atleast only on one side of my body in August 2005
And do you think I should demand a blood test since it would show up in my system since my contact would only be in june 2005
Or do you think the culture will be accurate
thanks!
Doctor's Answer
by Edward W Hook, MD, Jul 02, 2009 06:35PM
, Jul 02, 2009 06:35PM
Chronic, recurrent yeast infections can be a terrible problem, causing inflammation and irritation that can mimic herpes. Having said that however, I really doubt that the symptoms you describe are herpes for many of the reasons you have already mentioned. IF you had gotten HSV in June it would be most unusual to have an initial herpes outbreak 2 months later. Initial herpes typically occurs 4-10 days after exposure, not two months later. Furthermore, Skin to skin contact is not a particularly efficient means of transmitting herpes.
Also, as you point out, had your initial problem been herpes, it would be expected that subsequent outbreaks would be more localized and less severe, neither of which seems to be the case.
I don't blame you and your doctor for taking a herpes culture to make sure that this is not HSV but it really does not sound too likely. A doubt that a blood test will add much.
Hope this helps. I do not think further testing is needed. EWH
Also, as you point out, had your initial problem been herpes, it would be expected that subsequent outbreaks would be more localized and less severe, neither of which seems to be the case.
I don't blame you and your doctor for taking a herpes culture to make sure that this is not HSV but it really does not sound too likely. A doubt that a blood test will add much.
Hope this helps. I do not think further testing is needed. EWH
