Aa
Exposure to HSV II
Hello,
I was dating a girl who has been infected with HSV II for about five years. We abstained from sexual activity for a long period of time and at one point decided that this was going to be a relationship that led to marriage and began having unprotected intercourse when she was not having outbreaks. Over the years her outbreaks became infrequent and she could always tell when one was coming on. I understood and accepted the risk but felt the odds were in my favor (4% risk over a year was my understanding). We had sex maybe 20 times over a four month span as I was traveling a lot. We broke up about 10 weeks ago and I am waiting out the 12 weeks right now before I can go get tested. I had a lesion on the top of my penis about 4 weeks after we broke up that was very small - I went to the doctor and he looked at it under a microscope saying it wasn't herpes but a wart and froze it off. Three days ago I noticed another lesion on the underside of my penis about halfway down the shaft where there is a lot of hair. I haven't been able to go to the doctor due to my schedule and probably won't until later this week when if might be gone. It was red and felt like a small ball/bb in my skin protuding out like a pimple. Definitely bigger than the wart and redder. It was never very tender nor blistered. Today when I woke up there was a white head on it and unfortunately I could not resist popping it. What came out was like a small semi-solid white material sesame seed size and then some blood. As today has progressed it seems to be going away already without any pain or ulceration. I know i have had the same thing before but can't remember if this is the first time since my exposure to herpes which I fully believe it is. I just want to know if this sounds like a herpes lesion or if I still can have hope going into my test that i don't have it.
Thank you very much for your help and for all you guys do on this forum.
I was dating a girl who has been infected with HSV II for about five years. We abstained from sexual activity for a long period of time and at one point decided that this was going to be a relationship that led to marriage and began having unprotected intercourse when she was not having outbreaks. Over the years her outbreaks became infrequent and she could always tell when one was coming on. I understood and accepted the risk but felt the odds were in my favor (4% risk over a year was my understanding). We had sex maybe 20 times over a four month span as I was traveling a lot. We broke up about 10 weeks ago and I am waiting out the 12 weeks right now before I can go get tested. I had a lesion on the top of my penis about 4 weeks after we broke up that was very small - I went to the doctor and he looked at it under a microscope saying it wasn't herpes but a wart and froze it off. Three days ago I noticed another lesion on the underside of my penis about halfway down the shaft where there is a lot of hair. I haven't been able to go to the doctor due to my schedule and probably won't until later this week when if might be gone. It was red and felt like a small ball/bb in my skin protuding out like a pimple. Definitely bigger than the wart and redder. It was never very tender nor blistered. Today when I woke up there was a white head on it and unfortunately I could not resist popping it. What came out was like a small semi-solid white material sesame seed size and then some blood. As today has progressed it seems to be going away already without any pain or ulceration. I know i have had the same thing before but can't remember if this is the first time since my exposure to herpes which I fully believe it is. I just want to know if this sounds like a herpes lesion or if I still can have hope going into my test that i don't have it.
Thank you very much for your help and for all you guys do on this forum.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You face a difficult judgment decision and I can't give you a firm right or wrong answer. The honest truth is usually the safest course; at least it reduces the need to remember in later conversations what you said the first time. The truth is that you had a couple of genital lesions; that a doctor diagnosed a wart, but there's a good chance it was something else; molluscum contagiosum was also a possibility; and whatever it was, the problem now appears to be gone. Even if you had either infection, most likely it is now gone -- so the risk of transmission to your partner likely is low, and you might well get away with it by saying nothing. But you also should consider how you would feel, and how the conversation with your partner might go, if one of them appears in your partner in the future. ("Oh gee, Darlin' -- I plumb forgot to mention....")
So those are the pros and cons as I see it. The choice is yours.
So those are the pros and cons as I see it. The choice is yours.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum. As the former sex partner of someone with HSV-2, you are doing a very responsible thing by being tested for HSV-2. Most likely it will be negative; and if positive, probably unrelated to the genital area lesions you describe.
For sure the lesions you describe are not herpes. However, I'm also not convinced you have genital warts. Pink/red lesions in the genital area, with a hard white core inside with bleeding afterward, strongly suggests molluscum contagiosum, a minor viral infection. MC is often mistaken for warts by health care providers, so a (mis?)diagnosis of wart also fits with this possibility. You should return to your doctor to discuss that possibility; or seek a second opinion, e.g. from a dermatologist or your local health department STD clinic. (However, if you only had 2 lesions and both are now gone or healing, they may not be able to confirm the diagnosis.)
MC has no long term health consequences. See a provider if/when other lesions appear, which might happen for a few weeks. Since MC in adults is usually sexually acquired, you should have a conversation with your former partner so she can be on the lookout for lesions.
In any case, for sure this isn't herpes. Your blood test may or may not be positive; even without symptoms, you could have caught it from your partner. But if positive, it won't have anything to do with the lesions you describe. Feel free to return with a follow-up comment when your test result is available. In the meantime, you can find lots of information about MC through this forum's search button.
Not to be to ironic, but happy Valentine's day!
HHH, MD
For sure the lesions you describe are not herpes. However, I'm also not convinced you have genital warts. Pink/red lesions in the genital area, with a hard white core inside with bleeding afterward, strongly suggests molluscum contagiosum, a minor viral infection. MC is often mistaken for warts by health care providers, so a (mis?)diagnosis of wart also fits with this possibility. You should return to your doctor to discuss that possibility; or seek a second opinion, e.g. from a dermatologist or your local health department STD clinic. (However, if you only had 2 lesions and both are now gone or healing, they may not be able to confirm the diagnosis.)
MC has no long term health consequences. See a provider if/when other lesions appear, which might happen for a few weeks. Since MC in adults is usually sexually acquired, you should have a conversation with your former partner so she can be on the lookout for lesions.
In any case, for sure this isn't herpes. Your blood test may or may not be positive; even without symptoms, you could have caught it from your partner. But if positive, it won't have anything to do with the lesions you describe. Feel free to return with a follow-up comment when your test result is available. In the meantime, you can find lots of information about MC through this forum's search button.
Not to be to ironic, but happy Valentine's day!
HHH, MD
Thank you very much for your time and response Dr. I received my test results (HerpeSelect) today and was negative for both HSV-1 and HSV-2. I feel really good about the results given it has officially been 15 weeks since my last exposure and about 7 months since the first exposure. And since I have not had any herpetic lesions I am confident that herpes is no longer a concern.
I did want to follow up on your comment regarding warts vs MC. To clarify, my first lesion was much different then the second I describe above. The first lesion never "popped" and I cannot be sure there was a white center. It was relatively small and was there for ~2 weeks before my Dr. cryogenically froze it off. The 2nd lesion appeared very quickly and was much larger and redder. I read up on MC and looked at multiple pictures and my 2nd lesion did not resemble anything that I read or viewed - in all honesty, it just looked like a pimple. It only lasted 4 total days and when popped the contents, while somewhat solid, were no different then the contents of one of my facial pimples when popped.
I fully intend to visit my physician or a dermatologist if any lesions reappear but my biggest concern is what my disclosure obligation is to new partners. I am currently dating somebody (we had a great Valentines's Day - thank you for the well wishes!) but really do not want to say I may or may not have genital warts and / or MC when it sounds like it is not really conclusive that I have anything at all.
Thank you again for your time and help and go Dawgs!
I did want to follow up on your comment regarding warts vs MC. To clarify, my first lesion was much different then the second I describe above. The first lesion never "popped" and I cannot be sure there was a white center. It was relatively small and was there for ~2 weeks before my Dr. cryogenically froze it off. The 2nd lesion appeared very quickly and was much larger and redder. I read up on MC and looked at multiple pictures and my 2nd lesion did not resemble anything that I read or viewed - in all honesty, it just looked like a pimple. It only lasted 4 total days and when popped the contents, while somewhat solid, were no different then the contents of one of my facial pimples when popped.
I fully intend to visit my physician or a dermatologist if any lesions reappear but my biggest concern is what my disclosure obligation is to new partners. I am currently dating somebody (we had a great Valentines's Day - thank you for the well wishes!) but really do not want to say I may or may not have genital warts and / or MC when it sounds like it is not really conclusive that I have anything at all.
Thank you again for your time and help and go Dawgs!
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
