Aa
Genital Herpes Type 1
Dear Dr.,
I'm a female and I was diagnosed with GH Type 1 last Sept. via pap smear. The doctor put me on Valtrex 2x500mg for 5 days and the pimples (had no fever, no swollen lymph n.) were healed within 4 days. 2 weeks after the diagnosis I had 2 pimples again and immediately went to my gyno (The first time I was diagnosed by another doctor). The culture came back negative and she doubt, that I have GH. Since then I really suffer from beeing HSV 1+ without knowing where I have it. My gyno told me not to worry (70% in Switzerland are HSV1+) and even when I have GH due to HSV 1 it's not a big deal and it is less contagious than oral HSV1. She recommended to use a condom for a year (because of the shedding) and then, if I have no confirmed recurrence I shouldn't be worried anymore. I read a lot about GH (transmission, recurrence etc.) but I just can't let my anxiety go. Should I use condoms for oral/vaginal/anal sex for the rest of my life, when I have a partner who is HSV1 neg.? And shall I just say I have the virus but I don't know where? I'm quite lost and I see it as my duty to inform all future partners and let them have a herpes test to see if they are susceptible or not.
Thank you very much for your reply and I'm sorry if I have some writing mistakes.
I'm a female and I was diagnosed with GH Type 1 last Sept. via pap smear. The doctor put me on Valtrex 2x500mg for 5 days and the pimples (had no fever, no swollen lymph n.) were healed within 4 days. 2 weeks after the diagnosis I had 2 pimples again and immediately went to my gyno (The first time I was diagnosed by another doctor). The culture came back negative and she doubt, that I have GH. Since then I really suffer from beeing HSV 1+ without knowing where I have it. My gyno told me not to worry (70% in Switzerland are HSV1+) and even when I have GH due to HSV 1 it's not a big deal and it is less contagious than oral HSV1. She recommended to use a condom for a year (because of the shedding) and then, if I have no confirmed recurrence I shouldn't be worried anymore. I read a lot about GH (transmission, recurrence etc.) but I just can't let my anxiety go. Should I use condoms for oral/vaginal/anal sex for the rest of my life, when I have a partner who is HSV1 neg.? And shall I just say I have the virus but I don't know where? I'm quite lost and I see it as my duty to inform all future partners and let them have a herpes test to see if they are susceptible or not.
Thank you very much for your reply and I'm sorry if I have some writing mistakes.
Thank you very much for your help and all the best.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I'm sorry, there are no immediate tests that can be done on a swab that would definitively make a diagnosis of HSV. Further, because your blood test is positive does not mean that the bumps you noticed was HSV - these could be two unrelated things. I think you need a second opinion. EWH
Thank you very much for your fast answer.
The doctor took a swab from my cervix (because I felt some discomfort), looked it under the microscope and just told me I have herpes (without saying Type 1 oder 2) I had no lesions at that time. The next day I had pimples but because I was so unexperienced I just thought I have herpes Type 2 for sure, took the Valtrex and as I already mentioned the pimples were healed within 4 days. After 2 weeks I had 2 pimples again and went to my Gyno and she sent a swab to the laboratory. The culture came back negative. I just know now I am positive for Type 1 so it must be Genital Herpes because the first swab was positive although without knowing what type, am I right?
I just need some guidance to protect future partners when they are negative.
Thank you again.
The doctor took a swab from my cervix (because I felt some discomfort), looked it under the microscope and just told me I have herpes (without saying Type 1 oder 2) I had no lesions at that time. The next day I had pimples but because I was so unexperienced I just thought I have herpes Type 2 for sure, took the Valtrex and as I already mentioned the pimples were healed within 4 days. After 2 weeks I had 2 pimples again and went to my Gyno and she sent a swab to the laboratory. The culture came back negative. I just know now I am positive for Type 1 so it must be Genital Herpes because the first swab was positive although without knowing what type, am I right?
I just need some guidance to protect future partners when they are negative.
Thank you again.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our Forum. I'll try to help. HSV-1 infections are, as your doctor has explained very common. Most of these infections are oral infections which were acquired in childhood. Like all HSV infections, most people with infection are unaware of their infection unless they have a positive test.
I am a bit unclear of how your infection was diagnosed by PAP smear. Do you mean that your doctor was suspicious of a lesion seen at the time a PAP smear was obtained or was there some test result that suggested HSV? Other than tests specifically for the virus, it would be quite uncommon for your doctor to be able to specifically diagnose HSV-1 infection on a PAP smear.
Now that you know you have infection, it is proper to tell partners that you have HSV-1 infection. As to where that infection is, unless your answers to my question above change my assessment, it would be proper to tell partners that this is the virus that causes cold sores, that most people (60-70%) have it and that you do not have outbreaks that you are aware of. Statistically, unless partners know that they do not have HSV-1 infection it is more likely than not that they already have the infection. Once a person has an HSV-1 infection at any site it is most unlikely that they would acquire infection at a second site on their body, i.e. they are resistant to further infection
There is excellent, highly informative information also available on HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections at the web site run by the American Social Health Association. (Disclosure. Dr. Handsfield and I are both members of the American Social Health Association Board of Directors.)
I hope this comment is helpful. EWH
I am a bit unclear of how your infection was diagnosed by PAP smear. Do you mean that your doctor was suspicious of a lesion seen at the time a PAP smear was obtained or was there some test result that suggested HSV? Other than tests specifically for the virus, it would be quite uncommon for your doctor to be able to specifically diagnose HSV-1 infection on a PAP smear.
Now that you know you have infection, it is proper to tell partners that you have HSV-1 infection. As to where that infection is, unless your answers to my question above change my assessment, it would be proper to tell partners that this is the virus that causes cold sores, that most people (60-70%) have it and that you do not have outbreaks that you are aware of. Statistically, unless partners know that they do not have HSV-1 infection it is more likely than not that they already have the infection. Once a person has an HSV-1 infection at any site it is most unlikely that they would acquire infection at a second site on their body, i.e. they are resistant to further infection
There is excellent, highly informative information also available on HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections at the web site run by the American Social Health Association. (Disclosure. Dr. Handsfield and I are both members of the American Social Health Association Board of Directors.)
I hope this comment is helpful. EWH
I forgot to mention that I had a blood test last year in December which came back positive for HSV1 and negative for HSV2.
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.
