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STDs (Expert Forum)
Pregnant and Worried about herpes
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum does not cover AIDS/HIV issues. This forum is for questions and support regarding STD issues such as: Chlamydia, Crabs (pubic lice scabies), Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (viral), Herpes, HPV, Molluscum Contagiosum, PID, Rectal Infections, Syphilis, Trichomonas, Warts, Yeast Infection.
IMPORTANT
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
Pregnant and Worried about herpes
by mzm, Mar 23, 2008 06:14PM
Dear Doctor,
I am hoping you can me clarify things. I am 28 weeks pregnant. I discovered last week that my spouse cheated on me with two different women by having unprotected sex. One woman from july/07 to Oct./07. A different woman once in mid december. I discovered this two weeks ago.
In mid december after having intercourse with my husband I woke up the next day with extreme soreness and burning with urination. I was diagnosed with a UTI and bacterial Vaginosis. The problem is that after that intial infection my symptoms never went away. I had protected inercourse with my husband once after that in February. Over the last four months I have been tested for stds-trichmonasis,bacterial vaginosis, gonherrea, chlymadia, syphlis and HIV. I have also been tested for yeast and a bladder infection. My vagina is very inflamed and sore and I always having burning with the urination with outside irriation as well. The doctor has told me that in the absence of infection that it must be my pregnancy hormones causing this.
I have been suffering on and off with this now for four months. After discovering about my husband I went to the doctor this past Thursday. I was concerned about Herpes. I had never even thought about it before. The doctor did a pelvic exam and said that my vaginal wall looks very inflamed as it has been in the past but it doesn't look like herpes. I have also noticed that in the last few weeks the burning has moved more from being deeper in my vagina to being more superfical but still inside. When I urinate and shower it stings and burns even for a while after and then it passes, till I have to urinate again. I took a herpeselect antibodies test on March 12th. It came back negative for HSV1 and HSV 2. My husband claims he has been tested but I don't believe him. I don't have any obvious lesions or sores but have had this on and off vaginal irritaion for months-somedays I am literally in tears from the irritation.
Does this sound like Herpes??? Can you have herpes in the absence of sores/blister but having soreness and burning with urination???? Is my herpes test considered to be accurate???? Do I need to be tested again?? It has been a little over 12 weeks since I had unprotected sex with my husband and just about 8 weeks since we had protected intercourse. I am very worried about my unborn child and Herpes seems to be the only thing I don't have a clear answer for.
Thank you.
I am hoping you can me clarify things. I am 28 weeks pregnant. I discovered last week that my spouse cheated on me with two different women by having unprotected sex. One woman from july/07 to Oct./07. A different woman once in mid december. I discovered this two weeks ago.
In mid december after having intercourse with my husband I woke up the next day with extreme soreness and burning with urination. I was diagnosed with a UTI and bacterial Vaginosis. The problem is that after that intial infection my symptoms never went away. I had protected inercourse with my husband once after that in February. Over the last four months I have been tested for stds-trichmonasis,bacterial vaginosis, gonherrea, chlymadia, syphlis and HIV. I have also been tested for yeast and a bladder infection. My vagina is very inflamed and sore and I always having burning with the urination with outside irriation as well. The doctor has told me that in the absence of infection that it must be my pregnancy hormones causing this.
I have been suffering on and off with this now for four months. After discovering about my husband I went to the doctor this past Thursday. I was concerned about Herpes. I had never even thought about it before. The doctor did a pelvic exam and said that my vaginal wall looks very inflamed as it has been in the past but it doesn't look like herpes. I have also noticed that in the last few weeks the burning has moved more from being deeper in my vagina to being more superfical but still inside. When I urinate and shower it stings and burns even for a while after and then it passes, till I have to urinate again. I took a herpeselect antibodies test on March 12th. It came back negative for HSV1 and HSV 2. My husband claims he has been tested but I don't believe him. I don't have any obvious lesions or sores but have had this on and off vaginal irritaion for months-somedays I am literally in tears from the irritation.
Does this sound like Herpes??? Can you have herpes in the absence of sores/blister but having soreness and burning with urination???? Is my herpes test considered to be accurate???? Do I need to be tested again?? It has been a little over 12 weeks since I had unprotected sex with my husband and just about 8 weeks since we had protected intercourse. I am very worried about my unborn child and Herpes seems to be the only thing I don't have a clear answer for.
Thank you.
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Mar 23, 2008 07:27PM
, Mar 23, 2008 07:27PM
Your doctor's judgment that you don't have herpes, based on direct examination, is more reliable than anything else. So most likely you don't have it.
While I agree some of your symptoms are consistent with herpes, the story is atypical from several perspectives. These include apparent onset of symptom during sex (it takes herpes at least 2-3 days to start showing symptoms) and the apparently lack of obvious blisters or open sores. The blood test results also are reassuring, although not completely so, since it takes several weeks for the blood test to become positive. However, now that 12+ weeks have gone by, you could be tested again. If still negative, you can rest assured.
You also could insist your husband either show you his test results or be retested. It's his child too, and with a diplomatic request both from you and your obstetrician, I'll bet he would go along with it. If his test really is negative, then of course herpes is impossible as an explanation of your symptoms.
That's about as far as I can go. Almost all obstetricians these days are very knowledgeable about herpes, both in how it looks on exam, how to diagnose it, and how to protect the baby from infection during delivery. All ob's are VERY concerned about taking no chance of allowing a case of herpes transmission to a baby. It's one of their greatest lawsuit fears. Yours isn't going to take even the slightest risk of that happening.
So cross-check my advice with your Ob, then follow his or her advice about it. If s/he reassures you about herpes, you can believe it.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
While I agree some of your symptoms are consistent with herpes, the story is atypical from several perspectives. These include apparent onset of symptom during sex (it takes herpes at least 2-3 days to start showing symptoms) and the apparently lack of obvious blisters or open sores. The blood test results also are reassuring, although not completely so, since it takes several weeks for the blood test to become positive. However, now that 12+ weeks have gone by, you could be tested again. If still negative, you can rest assured.
You also could insist your husband either show you his test results or be retested. It's his child too, and with a diplomatic request both from you and your obstetrician, I'll bet he would go along with it. If his test really is negative, then of course herpes is impossible as an explanation of your symptoms.
That's about as far as I can go. Almost all obstetricians these days are very knowledgeable about herpes, both in how it looks on exam, how to diagnose it, and how to protect the baby from infection during delivery. All ob's are VERY concerned about taking no chance of allowing a case of herpes transmission to a baby. It's one of their greatest lawsuit fears. Yours isn't going to take even the slightest risk of that happening.
So cross-check my advice with your Ob, then follow his or her advice about it. If s/he reassures you about herpes, you can believe it.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Member Comments (3)
by mzm, Mar 23, 2008 10:48PM
Thank you for getting back to me. Is the HerpeSelect test accurate at the 12+ weeks mark??? Should I wait even longer???
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Mar 23, 2008 10:57PM
, Mar 23, 2008 10:57PM
I already answered that: 12 weeks is fine. But please stop worrying about the details. Leave those to your ObG.
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