Could it not be herpes?

[Dyno01]

Hi. I'm a 22 year old female. I have had only 4 sexual partners in my life, all of which have been long term relationships. I have always been very careful, using protection and asking about past history before doing anything physical. I have yearly pap tests and have always been std free. I have now been with my current boyfriend(fiance) for almost two years. We are monogamous and were both tested and free of stds at the beginning of our relationship, and I've also had pap tests done since then. Last month I had a bad yeast infection that was followed by really tiny sores on my perineum. I went to the doctor(female) and she looked and said I had nothing to worry about. I was still paranoid so went to the walkin clinic the following week. The sores were already gone, they only lasted about 2-3 days, they were not painful, not itchy, didn't scab over, no discharge, nothing. The nurse practitioner that I talked to at the clinic said I had nothing to worry about but I got blood tests done anyway. I have not gotten these results back yet but my boyfriend had blood work done about a week before and his came back normal, no indication of any antibodies or anything and he's also never had any type of sore or infection on his genitals. Now a month later these tiny sores have come back, I went to emergency at the hospital and the doctor(male) couldn't even see them, I had to point them out. He was not a very nice man but said they may be herpes. I understand that this infection can be dormant but if I am infected it would have had to been a long time ago and I also understand that women are more likely to show symptoms shortly after being exposed. So since my timeline does not fit together and my fiancé whom I've been having unprotected sex with for two years shows no signs in his blood work, how could this be herpes? And if it isn't, what is it?

[gracefromHHP]

as I already said, the non- type specific tests have a high false positive rate.

once you get type specific testing done, feel free to post the results here for more help with them. really nothing else I can add at this point until you get better testing done.

[Dyno01]

Hi thank you for explaining. But even if I don't know my level of antibodies, if it came back that they're detected does that not mean that I do have the virus? I've read some articles and I'm trying to learn more but I'm confused cause I've read that this is what it means and have also read that this doesnt mean anything, and then the NP is telling me that it doesn't necessarily mean that I have it. I have so much confusion and anxiety trying to understand.

[gracefromHHP]

non-type specific tests have a high false positive rate due to other infections. they also don't differentiate between hsv1 and hsv2 so it's really of no use to get a + result . type specific herpes igg blood testing gives you a result for hsv1 and hsv2 both. It's of no use to just know you might have herpes, you need to know if you have hsv1, hsv2 or both.

[Dyno01]

Hi. I'm sorry, could u explain why this test is a waste of time?? I've been trying to read up on it but I really don't know the differences between blood tests? :S thank you.

[gracefromHHP]

valtrex doesn't work fast enough to heal herpes lesions in a day or so.  all it does is decrease shedding of the virus and you have to wait for your body to finish healing the actual lesion which can take more than 4 days.

non-type specific herpes igg blood testing is a waste of time and money :(  sounds like the clinic isn't all that up to date on herpes testing :(

[Dyno01]

I had just gotten off the phone with the nurse and she said there would be no point in me getting my results printed out since the NP had already explained that I could just have the antibodies from exposure to a cold sore in the past. I asked if the tests was igg or igm and she said she wasn't sure, but when I first read the results I don't remember seeing anything numerical to indicate that it was an igg and I know the test wasn't type specific, all I remember it saying was that there were antibodies detected. The NP also said that when she gets cold sores and takes valtrex that they're gone in 24hrs. I've been on valtrex that the ER doc gave me for almost 4 days and it never increased healing like it says it should, even though they were almost healed already. I have also had a yeast infection both times with this, significant?? I'm confused and she made an appointment with both my bf and I for the 16th once my swab comes back to help explain things I guess.