I have herpes but I don't know if THIS is herpes...

I got genital herpes about 10 years ago.  I got outbreaks about 1 a year at first and then they sort of tappered off.  They looked like typical herpes out breaks, blisters, to open soars, to scabs.  But in the past 4 years or so I have a lot of anal itchng and when I inspect I notivce small little tears in my skin.  In my perineum area especially.  I heard that certain allergies, like milk, can casuse anal itch.  And the small tears seem to come and go lasting a few days or so and they happen all the time.  SOmething I just live with.  I am wondering what they are.  On doctor said they could bee herpes, but when I called a herpes hot line they said that if I have a regular looking gout break that these little cuts probably aren't outbreaks.  I have a partner that I have been with for 6 years and he has never showed any signs off herpes from me and we do not use protection but never had sex when I had an outbreak.  But we have sex when I have these little cuts.  I really wonder what the perinium cuts are.  Am I iritating the skin somehow.  I am hesitant to call them herpes because they do not itch like herpes or go through the cycle of herpes.  My but justt feel a little discompfort.  Like I didn't wipe properly.  Not to get too icky, but I thought it mught be anal leakage and that would explain the ittching around the sphinkter but I don't think it explains the cuts on the perinium.  DO you have any ideas.  When ever I try to see a doctor they gop away before I get there orr they say that they do not see anything, But I've out a mirror down there and I see them...
any ideas

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Most people with recurrent genital herpes have more or less similar symptoms each time they have an outbreak; if symptomatic herpes were to return, you would expect to have symptoms similar to the classical ones you describe.  So although I cannot say with certainty that your more recent symptoms are herpes, I think it is unlikely.  But as to what actually is the cause, I really cannot speculate any better than you and your doctor can.

I suggest you identify a particular doctor, one who knows about herpes, and arrange to permit a short-notice appointment (within 24 hours) the next time you get the lesions you are concerned about.  Alternatively, perhaps a doc's office would be willing to give you a couple of swabs and a vial of herpes culture medium (or PCR medium), so you could swab the lesions yourself next time they appear.  My bet is that the culture (or PCR) will be negative.

Good luck--- HHH, MD

[stacy123]

I beleive I got genital herpes from a boyfriend who had oral herpes (he got cold sores all the time.  I didn't know I could get genital herpes from him.  I was young..)  Not I just got an outbreak yesturday.  I didn't think it was.  I was checking down there and didn't see anything.  After still feeling something was wrong I looked in to it better and saw the blisters.  Now I am all paranoid that I may have touched them and then touched my face.  I know I didn't touch the actual blisters but touched the area around them.  Am I going to get cold sores on my mouth now.  I am sooo stressed out over this.  I hate it and this whole thing freels like it is ruining my life:(