Yeast, herpes or hypochondria?

[inquirsw]

Hi, about 6 weeks ago we went on our honeymoon. My wife had a yeast infection, and was treating it. We had oral sex a number of times, about three or four weeks ago, still in Europe, during intercourse, she felt herself tear in the bottom corner, she went to the Dr. there and he said it was a tiny cut and everything was ok, but to use lubricant for a few weeks. She still felt too much pain when we tried again, so we held off for now three weeks. A few days later, I noticed a sore in the corner of my lip. It was sort of like a pus pimple but after it drained, the redness got bigger and chapped. And there was a small amount of white discharge.

We came home about a week later and I began to take Famvir (I get oral herpes sores rarely, and only on my upper middle lip) on the off chance that it was a herpetic sore. My wife went to her Dr. last week and he said that there is a lesion where she felt the cut happen, he said this could be from the yeast infection which she still has, or it could be HSV. What is the likelihood if I was asymptomatic at the time, that she could catch it genitally, also, my sore is still there, don't most herpes sores go away in a few days, especially on Famvir, it has been over three weeks? Her doctor only took a culture of the lesion and told her to refrain from intercourse for one week, and to call in two weeks to get results. Does he think it is HSV and does not want me to contract it? Can I get genital HSV when I already have it orally?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I would like to help, but from your description, I can only make the same speculations you and your wife's provider have already made.  The main possibilities are herpes, yeast, and trauma from frequent and/or vigorous sex.  Herpes certainly can be transmitted when an infected person is asymptomatic; in fact, that's the usual case.  (People with painful genital or oral sores tend not to have sex, so that those with asymptomatic infection in general are the most efficient transmitters.)  But yes, herpes sores generally clear up within 10-14 days without treatment and a week or less on Famvir or other antiherpetic drugs--so that aspect argues against herpes.  So it could go either way; you're just going to have to await the test results.

People infected with a particular HSV type, such as HSV-1 (the probable cause, if your oral herpes is the source of the present problem), do not get new infections with the same type.  Even if you transmitted genital herpes to your wife from your oral infection, you are not at risk of genital infection yourself.  Also, if this indeed turns out to be herpes due to HSV-1, the odds are your wife won't have any big problem with it.  Most people with genital HSV-1 infection have few or no recurrent outbreaks--quite different than the case with HSV-2.

Don't let this bum you out.  When all is said and done, even if it is herpes, it shouldn't have any significant long term effect on your wife's health and will have no effect on an unlimited and rewarding sexuality.  All will be well.

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

[inquirsw]

Thanks for the quick reply. I know that her lesion may be from yeast or herpes, and now possibly sex, but mine stil does not look like a herpes sore, and it will not go away with Famvir. I plan to stop taking it because I don't see any change in almost two weeks of pills. It still looks chapped and inflamed. Can it be that I got her yeast infection?

Thanks.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

We agree that persistence of your lesion despite famciclovir treatment is evidence against herpes. Also, herpes lesions don't look "chapped". But I cannot guess about other possibilities; your own health care provider is the way to go.

[shylynnmarie]

this is my first pregnacy and i went in for a pap and the test came back that i had chlamydia, i got antibiotic for it. i also had group b strep and got treatment for that. since then i have not had sex with anyone and everything was clear. i think now i have a yeast infection. im very itchy and irratted. i soon developed some bumps down there on the lips and near the anal area. the bumps are skin color and i tried to pop or scrap them off and they just hurt and bleed. one of them actually came off at one point after i went to the bathroom and wiped. could the bumps be part of the yeast infection? i am worried becuse if they were an std then my pap would have seen it right? i also got a call from my dr and i have to go in for a level two sono cuz my blood test came back for a red flag that my baby might have edwards syndrome. were she has an extra chromosome and will be mentally handicapp. i am really worried my next appt isnt til the 21 of august. can some one please give me some feed back on this. thankx