how long is too long for an incubation period for herpes

[need to get this out of my head]

I just have a question about the incubation period of herpes. I had genital apposition with a guy june 17 of 2005 and experienced a yeast infection with an atypical herpes lesion on august 22nd 2005. It was cultured and came back negative.buti was just curious if i can be sure i didnt catch herpes from the June 17th act since it was 9 weeks before the atypical lesion occured with no symptoms at all before that? thank you

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Culture can miss the virus, even in persons with herpes.  But if the culture is positive, it gives a rapid and accurate answer.

HHH, MD

[need to get this out of my head]

Just a question (i understand if you dont answer) but why do they take cultures at all? i recieved a negative result but you say i still need a blood test. why take the culture at all, why not just wait 3 months for a blood test?

[HHH,MD]

I realized I didn't directly answer your question.  2+ months is too long an incubation period.  The reason it doesn't matter is that you could have had a previous infection, or could have had an initially asymptomatic infection acquired June 17, with your first and only recurrence in August.

HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You had a lesion that was sufficiently suspicious for herpes that your provider did a culture.  That means herpes was at least a possibility.  So the incubation period doesn't answer your question.  The only way to know whether you are infected with either HSV-1 or HSV-2 is to have a blood test.  Of course a positive test won't tell you when you were infected, so it won't necessarily indicate you caught it during the exposure you describe.  But if negative for both types, you will know for sure it wasn't herpes.

HHH, MD