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hsv 2 rash on arm?
Hello Doctors. I'll get right to it. In 2008, I dated an HSV-2 genital female for roughly nine months. We engaged mutual masturbation both ways and mutual oral sex both ways and had vaginal sex with a condom 2-3 times. No noticeable oral or genital symptoms despite close inspection. Had an igg negative for HSV-2 four months after relationship ended. Had a Western Blot recently (last year) that was also negative. All the tests accurately gave me a positive for my HSV1 oral I've had since childhood.
I recently started worrying about being a non seroconverter-- and in particular about a blister/red rash I had on my forearm while I was dating the HSV2 woman. We were dating in the summer and I had been doing some work outside near the time the rash occurred and I had assumed it was poison ivy. At the time I did not know anything about herpetic whitlow or herpes being able to infect any part of the body. It's been 5 or 6 years now with no recurrence. I am thinking of having my children blood tested for herpes as well, since they would have been in direct contact of my forearm rash, and I didn't do much to prevent exposure to it, thinking it was just a reaction to a plant. Now what? How will I know? Would a blood test on children be reliable?
I recently started worrying about being a non seroconverter-- and in particular about a blister/red rash I had on my forearm while I was dating the HSV2 woman. We were dating in the summer and I had been doing some work outside near the time the rash occurred and I had assumed it was poison ivy. At the time I did not know anything about herpetic whitlow or herpes being able to infect any part of the body. It's been 5 or 6 years now with no recurrence. I am thinking of having my children blood tested for herpes as well, since they would have been in direct contact of my forearm rash, and I didn't do much to prevent exposure to it, thinking it was just a reaction to a plant. Now what? How will I know? Would a blood test on children be reliable?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sorry, but you may not keep returning with every little "what if" or "yes but" question that comes to mind. Trust me on this: nothing that comes to your anxious mind is going to change my opinions or advice. You don't have herpes. Believe it and move on with your life.
I understand Dr HHH. I appreciate it and will do more reading. One last follow up that is directly related to my first question. After giving more thought to my interaction history with my hsv 2 ex gf. I recall her having reasonable outbreak like symptoms once while we dated. I had fingered her a day or two before over very shear/see through underwear, so I imagine the underwear didn't give my finger much protection and I know shedding can be significant a day or two before an outbreak. Does this change your opinion or advice? On the off chance transmission would occur during figuring, I would have seen symptoms on my figure and not my forearm, right?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
This indeed is an entirely new topic. For a detailed reply, a new thread would be best. The brief reply is that in this circumstance, there is no reason to say anything to future partners. Everybody gets genital HPV, and your past contact with a woman with a LEEP procedure doesn't increase a future partner's risk of getting HPV. (Even if you had had known HPV yourself, you don't necessarily need to say anything to future partners.)
Before you decide to spend another posting fee, spend some time reading other HPV related threads on this forum. You probably can easily find the answers to any remaining questions you may have.
Before you decide to spend another posting fee, spend some time reading other HPV related threads on this forum. You probably can easily find the answers to any remaining questions you may have.
Dr HHH, am I not allowed to post this second question? If so I understand, just not sure if that is why there has been no response or if its because of some forum error?
Dr HHH, thank you for the reply. It has helped relieve my anxiety, particulary that of exposing my children to the rash. Could I ask one more unrelated std question? I have read much and learned much about hpv and its commonality on this site. I likely have/had it after sex with a partner who recently had a LEEP procedure before we slept together. I carry some guilt for not informing partners of this. I was wondering if there were any statistics specifically on high risk hpv prevalence in men and/or women over a lifetime or a specific period of time? I know that the majority of folks get hpv types that rarely cause cancer, but do the high risk types reach such a high population? any percentages?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum and thanks for your question.
Responding to the title, before reading anything else: it is extremely rare for HSV-2 infections to involve sites other than the anogenital area (think of the body parts covered by boxer shorts) or mouth. The arm would be extraordinarily rare.
Now having read the question, I can say unequivocally that your arm rash was not HSV-2. Poison ivy wouldn't really mimic herpes anyway; if it was typical for poison ivy, and given the plausible exposure to it, you can safely conclude that's what it was. Further, if you had acquired HSV-2 during that past relationship, almost certainly it would have been genital or possibly oral. And your negative blood test results confirm you aren't infected.
Finally, you were at very low risk anyway. In monogamous couples in which one person has HSV-2, who have unprotected vaginal sex 2-3 times a week, only 5% of susceptible partners (1 in 20) become infected each year. Given only 2-3 episodes of vaginal sex (plus no risk from mutual masturbation and little risk by oral sex), your risk was extremely low.
There is, in theory, a small chance that you could have HSV-2 despite the prediction of any one of those factors (exposure history, symptoms, blood test, transmission odds). But to be infected in the face of ALL of them is, for practical purposes, a statistical impossibility.
So you can put all such concerns out of your mind. You need not (and probably should not) mention these issues to current or future sex partners, and need not take any precautions against infecting other people -- except to make them aware that in theory you could transmit your oral HSV-1 infection by kissing or performing oral sex. But not HSV-2.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Responding to the title, before reading anything else: it is extremely rare for HSV-2 infections to involve sites other than the anogenital area (think of the body parts covered by boxer shorts) or mouth. The arm would be extraordinarily rare.
Now having read the question, I can say unequivocally that your arm rash was not HSV-2. Poison ivy wouldn't really mimic herpes anyway; if it was typical for poison ivy, and given the plausible exposure to it, you can safely conclude that's what it was. Further, if you had acquired HSV-2 during that past relationship, almost certainly it would have been genital or possibly oral. And your negative blood test results confirm you aren't infected.
Finally, you were at very low risk anyway. In monogamous couples in which one person has HSV-2, who have unprotected vaginal sex 2-3 times a week, only 5% of susceptible partners (1 in 20) become infected each year. Given only 2-3 episodes of vaginal sex (plus no risk from mutual masturbation and little risk by oral sex), your risk was extremely low.
There is, in theory, a small chance that you could have HSV-2 despite the prediction of any one of those factors (exposure history, symptoms, blood test, transmission odds). But to be infected in the face of ALL of them is, for practical purposes, a statistical impossibility.
So you can put all such concerns out of your mind. You need not (and probably should not) mention these issues to current or future sex partners, and need not take any precautions against infecting other people -- except to make them aware that in theory you could transmit your oral HSV-1 infection by kissing or performing oral sex. But not HSV-2.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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.
