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Just Diagnosed +HSV1 and 2. What now?
I was just diagnosed with HSV 1 and 2. I have only been with two people in my life, and I've been married to both of them. I never thought I was "high risk." How am I supposed to tell my husband that I have genital herpes?? He's been deployed to Iraq for the last 5 months, and I haven't been with anyone. That's the honest truth. I have 3 kids under the age of 6. I wouldn't have the time (or the money for a babysitter) to be unfaithful, but isn't that what it looks like? I have been getting brazilian waxes. Is it possible that I got herpes from the wax? I'm so scared and overwhelmed. Is there any way to figure out how long I've had it for so I can prove to him that I've been faithful? Is it possible that I got this from my ex-husband who was unfaithful (hence the divorce) over 5 years ago and just had my first outbreak of 1 sore? Am I crazy for hoping that my husband has its so that it's obvious that it occurred before he left? I feel like sub-human right now...
Once you get the numeric results from your igg blood test I can better help you. You had a + lesion culture though that was hsv1+ so there is a good chance that your hsv2 was a false positive but it'll take more testing to figure that out.
Once your husband comes home, he'll need a type specific herpes igg blood test done too. It's difficult getting tested for it in iraq from what others there have posted so he can just wait until he's home. do you recall him ever having cold sores that you can recall?
grace
Once your husband comes home, he'll need a type specific herpes igg blood test done too. It's difficult getting tested for it in iraq from what others there have posted so he can just wait until he's home. do you recall him ever having cold sores that you can recall?
grace
I got my results back today, and I tested postive via IgG for both 1 and 2. I'll have to go get a hard copy to see the numbers on the results, but the OBGyn said the tests were conclusive, and that neither was a "low positive" suggesting that I had both viruses for at least 16 weeks before my outbreak. She said that I've probably been a carrier for a long time and never knew it.
I guess I feel at this point, it doesn't matter where it came from, but it's what I have to deal with. Some people get cold sores on their face. I happen to get them on my vagina... OK, technically I could get them on my face too, although I never have, but that doesn't make me double dirty or anything. I think that they are a new fact of life for me, and that they are a chronic issue that has everything to do with my body, and nothing to do with me, and who I am as a person. I'm done applying the stigma to myself, and I hate that I ever applied that stigma to others in the past (not openly, but mentally). Today starts a new chapter of my life. I'm living with this, and it's going to affect me as little as possible...
I guess I feel at this point, it doesn't matter where it came from, but it's what I have to deal with. Some people get cold sores on their face. I happen to get them on my vagina... OK, technically I could get them on my face too, although I never have, but that doesn't make me double dirty or anything. I think that they are a new fact of life for me, and that they are a chronic issue that has everything to do with my body, and nothing to do with me, and who I am as a person. I'm done applying the stigma to myself, and I hate that I ever applied that stigma to others in the past (not openly, but mentally). Today starts a new chapter of my life. I'm living with this, and it's going to affect me as little as possible...
Well, she's wrong as to there not being evidence of it suppressing the virus for the rest of your life. However, the studies done are based on HSV2, not HSV1.
But, that aside, I have genital HSV1 and I don't take suppressive therapy. The virus doesn't shed as often, nor are OBs frequent at all. It really depends on your own personal situation. But you can't hop on and hop off suppressive therapy as your doc suggested. You would have to take it every day. It's all or nothing.
Stress isn't proven to cause OBs. Heck if that were the case, I'd be having back to back OBs for certain! I haven't had one in over a year!
Your husband needs to be tested as well - there's also the chance he transmitted it to you via oral sex. If he has it, then you both have it and it provides him significant risk against getting it genitally.
Become educated even further by reading the Herpes Handbook:
http://www.westoverheights.com/genital_herpes/handbook/view_the_chapters.html
But, that aside, I have genital HSV1 and I don't take suppressive therapy. The virus doesn't shed as often, nor are OBs frequent at all. It really depends on your own personal situation. But you can't hop on and hop off suppressive therapy as your doc suggested. You would have to take it every day. It's all or nothing.
Stress isn't proven to cause OBs. Heck if that were the case, I'd be having back to back OBs for certain! I haven't had one in over a year!
Your husband needs to be tested as well - there's also the chance he transmitted it to you via oral sex. If he has it, then you both have it and it provides him significant risk against getting it genitally.
Become educated even further by reading the Herpes Handbook:
http://www.westoverheights.com/genital_herpes/handbook/view_the_chapters.html
Thanks for being so helpful with everything! I'm so clueless right now... And you're really helping me understand everything... As soon as I get the results back from the doctor, I will update. She prescribed valtrex with two sets of instructions: take smaller doses daily for suppressive therapy, or take larger doses as needed with outbreaks. She recommended that I only treat outbreaks, because there is not evidence to support the use of suppressive therapy for extended periods of time (like the rest of my life), and to only go suppressive when I'm anticipating an outbreak due to stress... What do you think?
An IgM is worthless for diagnosing herpes. They wasted your time/money. An IgG test will most likely tell you if this is a newly acquired infection, as it takes several weeks to several months for the antibodies to show in the bloodwork.
However, the culture came back positive for HSV1, so you know you have genital HSV1.
Do you have a current sexual partner? Has he ever performed oral sex on you?
Herpes is not spread the way you suggested. However, if they reused the waxing stick and double dipped, and had say waxed someones lip who had herpes prior to you, then yes - the risk could possibly be there.
However, the culture came back positive for HSV1, so you know you have genital HSV1.
Do you have a current sexual partner? Has he ever performed oral sex on you?
Herpes is not spread the way you suggested. However, if they reused the waxing stick and double dipped, and had say waxed someones lip who had herpes prior to you, then yes - the risk could possibly be there.
Okay, so after returning from the doctor, I was told that I am positive for both, yet only an IgM test was done on my blood.
The swab tested positive for HSV1, so I'm thinking that my wax technician may have had HSV1 on her face, touched it, then touched my labia.
I had blood drawn again for the IgG test and should get those results back in 5 or so days.
So at this point, I'm holding out that there's a good chance that I may just have HSV1 and not both...
The swab tested positive for HSV1, so I'm thinking that my wax technician may have had HSV1 on her face, touched it, then touched my labia.
I had blood drawn again for the IgG test and should get those results back in 5 or so days.
So at this point, I'm holding out that there's a good chance that I may just have HSV1 and not both...
Get the test results. It's important, needless to say, whether it was your blood or swab/culture.
If blood, find out what test you had done, and the numeric results.
And again, if you or either of your husbands don't know their status, you have no way of knowing how long you've had it. Of the 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men who have genital herpes, 90% don't even know it.
It's very unlikely - but not unheard of - to get herpes from wax - unless they're a dirty salon reusing wax.
Your logic / timing of culture/blood test is correct.
So, please do find out exactly what came back positive and let us know.
If blood, find out what test you had done, and the numeric results.
And again, if you or either of your husbands don't know their status, you have no way of knowing how long you've had it. Of the 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men who have genital herpes, 90% don't even know it.
It's very unlikely - but not unheard of - to get herpes from wax - unless they're a dirty salon reusing wax.
Your logic / timing of culture/blood test is correct.
So, please do find out exactly what came back positive and let us know.
i totally feel the same as you.so many questions to ask n know..im not married tho...and i do not know ho to tell my b/f who im assuming gave it to me...there is no way of teelin you how long youve had the virus
I just realized that I don't know whether the blood test or swab came back positive, or whether just the blood tests came back positive. And I definitely don't know what type of blood test it was. The NP just told me that my results came back positive for HSV1 and HSV2. But I'm wondering if there is any way to tell how long ago I got it... I'm thinking if the swab shows positive, but the blood shows negative, then I likely got it from the wax, which I know is unlikely, but the only other person to even see my vagina besides my OBGyn was the wax technician... However if both tests are positive (and my blood shows a high rate of antibodies) then I've probably had it for a half a decade and not known it. Maybe I'm grasping at straws... Did anyone else feel like this when they first found out??
A swab is conclusive, yes. Was it HSV1 or HSV2? It's important to know, hopefully they typed it. If not, request that they do.
I had a blood test, and a swab culture done on the one genital ulcer I had. I won't get the results back in writing until tomorrow (the nurse practitioner called me with my results today). But after a positive swab test, it's a sure thing, right?
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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.
