Looking for Advice

[kittylady1010]

I'm in need of some advice. When I was about 8 years old I had a sore on my vulva and my doctor said it was herpes and sent me to a gyno. They cultured it and it came back negative. Up until the point of graduating high school, I had an "outbreak" two more times, both cultured and came back negative. I was not sexually active AT ALL this whole time, but the gyno said it was still herpes. Now I'm a senior in college, and I have been getting these ulcerations (one at a time) on my vulva about every other month. I stopped getting them cultured cuz they'd always come back negative.

My old gyno I saw when I was younger suggested that I get a blood test for the HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies to tell whether or not these sores are caused by herpes or not. But I'm hesitant and here's why:

Say I'm HSV-1 and HSV-2 negative, then great. . . these stupid sores on my vuvla aren't herpes.

Say I'm HSV-1 pos and HSV-2 negative - this could mean I have herpes in my mouth OR have HSV - 1 on my genitals. So if I test this way, wouldn't the test just be inconclusive cuz I still wouldn't know if its GENITAL herpes or just antibodies from oral herpes?

Basically I feel the only way a blood test would help me would be if I were completely negative. But if I'm only negative for one type, it still won't tell me anything and then I'll be stuck wondering again, and get all depressed and spiral down the same way I did when I was a friggen eight year old with some old fart telling her she's got genital herpes.

Does anyone get the point I'm trying to get at? I'm scared to test cuz unless I'm completely negative for both types, I won't know how to interpret the results as to whether or not a HSV-1 or HSV-2 positive diagnosis is causing genital ulcers. I heard that 1 can cause oral and genital, correct?

[gracefromHHP]

This started before you were sexually active so it's incredibly unlikely to be due to herpes. Factor in all the negative lesion cultures you've had and it's even more likely that it isn't.  I'd follow up on this with the dermatologist.

grace

[kittylady1010]

Oh no, there was no molestation of anything of the sort going on. Just popped up and happened one day. I'm just scared that if I do the blood test and I get a positive HSV-1, the gyno will just deem me a herpes carrier when it's really something else that's happening. I've seen a rheumotologist and he said I could possibly have something called Behcet's Syndrome, but there's no sure test or anything like that so he's just basing the diagnosis off my symptoms. However, anytime I get a break out (like I'm currently having :(  ) my mind wanders always and I still worry that it's herpes.

[gracefromHHP]

my eyes saw 18, not 8.  Had you had any sexual molestation going on at any point? Sorry I know that's a difficult question to ask .  

Get the test so that you know your status and it's on your chart but definitely you need the dermatology consult since this is more likely something non-herpes going on unless there was molestation when this first happened.

grace

[gracefromHHP]

You need the blood test at this point. lesion cultures are frequently falsey negative and the blood test gives you something to go on. You could have hsv1 genitally causing issues this often but odds are that it's not that going on.

I also recommend a consult with a dermatologist at this point too.

grace