Is it herpes?

[m33ko]

Hi,

I've been intimated with one man for the last 6 weeks.  He is the only man I have ever been with prior.  We always use a condom when we are having vaginal sex but no condoms when we are doing oral sex. I've  never had a cold sore and according to him, he never has either.  He told me, he is clean, although he has never been tested. He has always used a condom everytime he has sex with his past girlfriends.  His past girlfriends had never had outbreaks.

6 days ago, I was coming off of antibiotics for a lingering cough.  I started feeling sore and tender in my vagina. I didn't think any of it. On Monday, the soreness and swollenness got worse and I started noticing a few pimple like bumps.  They were red and they were spread out, not clustered. Most of them were around where my pubic hair but there was one worrying looking thing on my labia minora.  They hurt and since there was a pimple on my labia, it hurt when pee touched it.  I shave so I thought it was just ingrown hair.  I put neosporin on them.  It did not work. In fact, I think it got worse.  On Wednesday, I decided to use some yogurt to ease the swollenness.  The next day (thursday), it worked, the swollenness was gone and I feel like the bumps also subsided.  I went to the doctor that day (finally fit me in) and she said she can't for certain say it isn't herpes.  She gave me medication for bacterial infection instead.  Now the bumps looks like pimples with tiny white heads.  They don't look like blisters.

Do I have herpes? The thing is they don't look like one. Neither me or my partner have had cold sores and we always use condoms when we have vaginal sex. I assume if I had gotten it from him that I would have had an outbreak way sooner.  Also when this is all happening, I didn't feel sick or cold or anything.  In fact, today the hurt and the swollenness are almost all gone.  I can even pee now with hurting.  Could this still be herpes?

[gracefromHHP]

most people who contract oral herpes, don't get obvious cold sores to know that they are infected.

I'm guessing you weren't given valtrex because she didn't feel that strongly that this was herpes.  herpes will heal even without treatment.

[m33ko]

Hi Grace,

Thanks for responding. I know that my doctor has diagnosed it as bacterial infection and has given me meds to go along with it.  She also took a culture sample and the results will be in next Tuesday.  What worries me is that she kept repeating we don't know for sure if it is herpes but there is a possibility.  I don't understand this. Is implying that I have it be she was just being nice to me?  Why didn't she just outright give me Valtrex?

I guess I'm just really scared. I've never had this before and based on my sexual history and my partner's sexual history, I have no idea where I could have gotten it from if it is herpes.

Additionally, if my partner gave me herpes, shouldn't I have had cold sores because we don't use a condom or a dental dam during oral sex?

[gracefromHHP]

you were seen and diagnosed with a bacterial vaginal infection.   at this point, ask your partner to get tested for herpes with type specific herpes igg blood testing and go from there.

grace