Herpes from Handjobs?

[ok123]

Dear Doctor,

I am a 39 year old male. My last sexual intercouse wirth my ex partner was in Jan 2006. Since then I had three
encounters of handjob. ( First 2 with condoms and last one without condom, period from Sep 08 to Dec 09)

I found out that I have HSV1 but HSV2 negative in May 2008. Prior to that I had not done any Herpes IgG
blood test  I repeatedly done 4 bloods test since then with some internal in time) the last one done was
early Jan 2009) and result had been HSV1 postive and HSV2 negative.

On Dec 12,  I went to a health SPA and took a handjob offer. The handjob was done without condom.
Since then, I have been feeling very uncomfortable in my private part. Itchiness or the private part
skin and sometimes on the tip of the penis.  I then went to see my urologist specialist on Dec 23
since I had cronic prostatatis before. He ordered blood test and urine test.  I just received the blood
test report which shows that I am both HSV1 and HSV2 positive.  The readings are as follows :

HSV1 IgG  > 3.5 poistive
HSV2 IgG   2.21  positive

My questions here are :

1)  Could I have caught HSV2 via handjob?

2)  Could the HSV2 positive result to be a false positive since I am a HSV1 carrier?

3) If I caught the HSV2 on the Dec 12 handjob and did a blood test on Dec 23 which shows a reading
   of 2.21, does it make sense for the IgG antibody to appear in 11 days time?

4) If I contracted HSV2 in this manner, I am worry about HIV too......

My doc has suggested me to go back for a retest in 4 weeks time since I do not have any HSV2 sypthoms.

I hope to seek for your opinion on this HSV2 positive blood test result.

Thank you.

OK123

[ok123]

Thank you!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You may have inflammation in the prostate gland -- not an STD and not related to the handjobs.  Visit your own doctor.

That is definitely the end of this thread.  This forum deals only with STDs, which are not a possbility here.  

[ok123]

Dear Doc,

Sharp pain inside the urethra in the penis does not go away..... it happens at least a few times everyday. However, there is no pain during urination. There is also some clear discharge from the penis and sticks to my underwear from time to time.  

What could this be.....?   Any suggestion where should I seek for help..?

Thank you.

Regards,
OK123

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I have no further comments. That's all for this thread. Take care.

[ok123]

Dear Doc,

Updating as follows.

I had done 2 more blood tests on HSV2 and STDs in another 2 different labs (not the lab which I got tested for HSV-2 positve) in the final week of Dec 09.

The STDs and HSV-2 result came back as NEGATIVE. Off course HSV-1 still +.

I am really relief although I am still feeling uncomfortable down there..
Anyway.  I have ruled out the possibility of STDs and will further check with my urology doc on the discomfort issue.

You were right on the STDs and HSV-2 and thank you very much!

I shall quit goung to health spa as this type of worry is not worth it.

Best Wishes,
ok123

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

There is no need to keep me posted.  I will have no further comments unless an STD is confirmed, which I do not expect to happen.

[ok123]

Dear Doc,

Thanks for yours.  I fully understood your advice and comment.

I am still feeling unwell (flu symptoms, muscles aches) but I will go and get some help and get retested again.  

Will keep you posted.

Thanks,
ok123

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

MedHelp's moderators are asked to not overtly disagree with patients' own doctors, but I believe it was a mistake, and not in your interest, to prescribe those antibiotics.  Sometimes expectant/preventive treatment for STDs makes sense, but not after a handjob, for goodness' sake!  You should not expect the treatment to make any difference in your symptoms.  You have no bacterial infection, and therefore nothing to treat with antibiotics.  And you surely do not have herpes.

[ok123]

Dear Doctor,

Happy New Year to you.

Thanks for yours again.  I will go back for the blood retest and update you again when the result is back.

Again, I am sure that my mind is not playing any tricks on me but I have been having strange irritation feeling inside my urinary tract and the tip of my penis again since this morning. I can't see any ulcer, blisters or whatever it is.

I will go back to see my urologist asap.  He gave me a jab of Rosaphine 1G on Dec 23 and I have been taking Ciprofloxacin 250 x 2  /day and  Doxycycline 100mg x2 /day since Dec 23.

I will keep you posted on my condition.

Thanks.

ok123

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You're welcome.  And as I said above, "genital herpes...does not cause itching or discomfort in the absence of overt blisters or sores."  That goes for just about any symptoms in the absence of lesions.  Websites list all sorts of symptoms that herpes can cause, like tingling, pain, itching, and so on.  But those things only occur with overt herpes lesions, not all by themselves.  No STD does what you describe.  However, your symptoms are quite typical for what I would call "genitally focused anxiety".

Really, don't worry about it.  Have the repeat blood test.  It probably will be negative.

[ok123]

Dear Doc,

Many thanks for your kind advices.

I will do repeat blood test to see what is the outcome then.

I still have muscle pain at the both sides of the muscle attached to the penis, and feeling some irritation when irinate from time to time.  The test on Chlamydia, VD Screen all came back negative.... Does HSV-2 has this type of symptoms?

Thank you once again.

Warmest Regards,
ok123

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the STD forum.  Sometimes almost all the information necessary for an accurate response is contained in the opening lines.  In this case, it seems to be obvious from the title alone.  Genital herpes is not acquired by hand-genital contact.  It might be theoretically possible, but it never happens for practical purposes.  If you have symptoms from a hand job, it isn't herpes; and if you have genital herpes, you didn't catch it from a hand job.

Now I have read the question itself.  First, your symptoms do not suggest genital herpes, which does not cause itching or discomfort in the absence of overt blisters or sores.

Second, your HSV-2 test result may indeed be false.  False positive results for HSV-2 are common when the test value is under 3.5, and in people with HSV-1.  You should have a repeat blood test.  If the HSV-2 result again is negative (with a value under 1.1), then you can be sure you don't have it.  If the repeat value is 3.5 or higher, then you do have it.  If once again the value is between 1.1 and 3.5, you should talk to your provider about doing an HSV Western blot test, which is the ultimate gold standard for HSV antibody testing.

Those comments cover questions 1 and 2.  Question 3:  It usually takes 2-6 weeks for the HSV blood tests to turn positive; 11 days is possible but quite unlikely.  Question 4:  HIV is not even theoretically possible by hand job.  No worries there.

My bet is that your HSV-2 test result is false and that repeat testing, as outlined above, will show that you don't have it.

I hope this helps.  Best wishes--  HHH, MD