Do I have herpes

[pc09]

Hey Everyone,

I have been losing my mind the last couple of days.  I have been with my boyfriend for going on 9 months now.  I haven't had any other sexual partners and he's told me that he hasn't either.  It's been about 12 days since we've  had sexual intercourse.  While in the shower this past Monday...I felt a little sting...nothing serious...like a insect bite.  So when I got out of the shower I examined it, it looked like it could have been a pimple, on the labia lip (I think majora) so I squeezed on it a couple times and nothing came out.  I couldn't really tell if hair was growing from it or not.  But when I squeezed it I may have irritated it a little.  Well anyway, It made me a little nervous so I scheduled an appointment for Wednesday of that week and i'd have to say that it was getting a little annoying.  Well My doctor took a look at it and touched it with gloves and said that it looked like folliculitis and that I should put some Neosporin on it.  She took blood test and a urine sample for safe measure so I thought it was all good from there.  I didn't have Neosporin brand but I did have a walmart brand triple antibiotic (first aid) ointment and rubbed that on it.  Well When I woke up the next morning and checked it I I had little pimples/blisters in the area.  They did not hurt but they looked like they had some clear fluids in them.  So now I'm really freakin out.  I called my doctor, left a message with her receptionist letting her know that I did what she said and it was worse, but she never called back.  Her receptionist called back and said that she was prescribing me with a herpes medecine.  I asked her does that mean I have it?  And she said no, but it's getting worse.  So now i'm balling and i'm upset because she wouldn't even look at it.  Anyway, I go to the emergency room and the doctor their looked at it.  He said it didn't look like your normal case of herpes, however if he had to guess one thing, that would be it.  He touched to see if it hurt me and it didn't.  He said it's usally excruciating pain if its a first break out.  I told him my urine irritates it when I have to go....but i'm guessing that a givin since it's acidic.  Well, he gave me antibiotics and a herpes medicine since he couldn't distinguish rather it was herpes or something else.  He took a small pin of some kind and burst the pimple. He asked me that hurt and it didn't either.  He took samples of the liquid inside and sent me on my way to wait for results 72 hours later.  The blisters are healing and I took a q-tip and swabbed it and the liquid is yellowish and I can't tell if hair is growing out of it or if, it doesn't look like a very deep ulcer though.  I've seen conflicting pictures on the internet.  Plus i'm african American so The pictures i've seen on our skin i can't distinguish.

I am freakin out!  I can't conentrate, I break out in tears everytime I think about possibly having herpes.  My body is usually very quick to tell me when something is wrong so its hard for me to believe that I would have herpes and it be dormant in me for so long.  I also did not realize that when you go for your annual womans check up and you get the overall STD testing that they don't check for herpes.  I'm not cheating on my boyfriend.  I believe he's being faithful to me, but I could be wrong.  Do these symptoms sound like Herpes or something else.  Could he have had it and not knowingly given it to me.  Could I have had it for years and not known and given it to him?  We both feel like we have found our soul mates but i don't know if our relationship can survive this.  I don't want to say anything to him until i get the test results.  This is a horrible situation to be in especially since i haven't even cheated.
'

[gracefromHHP]

Ok, the info you've provided now on your testing makes more sense. Before you were confusing your blood test results with your lesion culture results - or at least when trying to post about them you were.

At this point , your bf getting a type specific herpes igg blood test to see what his hsv2 status is is the best course of action. If he's hsv2+, I'd assume your lesion culture was hsv2 too so it's up to you if you feel the need for additional blood testing after that.  I'd also in your letter to the clinic be sure to point out that the cdc currently recommends typing genital herpes infections so they need to get in the practive of ordering typing of herpes lesion cultures. it's in the best interest of their patients and potentially saves a lot of time and money in the long run for them.

grace

[pc09]

Okay....here goes:

I have the worst doctor in the world...because i had to beg to get my results only to not even have them delivered by her.  She was off...but anyway that's another story.  My test from the swab test said positive for HSV.  It doesn't tell the type.  My blood test is negative for HSV-2 and positive for HSV-1.  My boyfriend is going to go take a blood test so that we can know exactly what we are dealing with.  I'm sure he's going to test positive for HSV-1 because he get cold sores.  I'm hoping that he's not one of those people with HSV-2 and just doesn't get symptoms, but I don't believe that's the case at all.  Anyway, get this.  I get a letter in the mail from my doctor, the one I haven't seen since I went for my initial check, who didn't even look at the blisters when I called her the next day to tell her what had occured when she told me to put neosporin, saying that all of my came back normal.  I was like HUH?!  That doesn't make any since.  Her nurse, and her fill in doctor both told me they were positive.  The ER nurse told me they were positive.  The swab test said that they were positive.  It is safe to say that I'm reporting her and getting a different doctor. Not only is this unprofessional, it's not cool to not know what's going on with your patient and acting as if you don't even care.  I'm still going to get another blood test to see if any other antibodies appear.  This is ridiculous...thanks everyone for the support and ADVICE!  I'll let you know what's going on soon!

[gracefromHHP]

The hsv1 result you posted so far was the igg blood test results. You didn't post a lesion culture result yet. Did you get a + lesion culture and just didn't post it?

grace

[pc09]

I'm even more confused....

[gracefromHHP]

At this point you have no idea what is going on genitally to be honest.  You had original symptoms that were not suggestive of herpes. You then applied triple antibiotic cream which oftentimes causes rashes because it's not made for the genital skin which is very sensitive sometimes.  

At this point your bf also needs to get tested to see what his status is. If he's only hsv1+, you still don't have answers to be honest. at this point all you can do is wait and if you get new symptoms, go and be seen and get a repeat lesion culture done.  

grace

[pc09]

Hey mike...I see what your saying.  I didn't feel anything coming on, it was just like a boom affect.  Out of nowhere.

[pc09]

i just got off of the phone with my boyfriend.  Apparently he use to get cold sores ALL of the time growing up and had his recent one last year due to a family emergency.  I'm actually his first oral sex (no really) and he was so very sorry and distraught because He said that he didn't tell me because he 1. Hadn't had a break out since last year and 2.  Didn't know it would cause this.  Like I said I've tested positive for only the HVS-1  No link so far between the HVS-2, but again, I haven't gotten my blood test yet.  These results were due to the swab test.  Swab test (the doctor actually drained the blister and took sample of the liquid) are pretty cut and dry correct?  Maybe I should call the nurse or receptionist  back,

[pc09]

Hey Mike, As you can tell I knokw how you feel.  The results have been clarified and it is 1.6.  I have a good friend who found out that she had HSV-2.  I have HSV-1.  She said because I had my intial outbreak, that means that I have just been recently exposed to it.  Do you think this is true.  It would be really cool if there were clear cut answers to this but there aren't.  She said a couple of things could have happen from her experience since I been with since August of last year and haven't showed any symptoms and this has been my first official outbreak:  1.  He has recently done something like kiss or have some type of relation with somebody ant they didn't know they had it. 2.  He may have noticed something small and thought nothing of it, and 3.  He just honestly didn't knwo that he had it.  She also told me that he can get tested right now, but he is not active, it will not show up on a blood test....so I'm wondering if that's true also....I mean she says the outbreak with HVS-2 is so horrible that if I had it I would be on my knees or laying in front of a fan with my legs open.  She said that since I have the 1 virus that though it is an initial outbreak, its not as bad and that i may never have another outbreak.

[pc09]

Hey Mike...

I have kissed before, I spoked week once years ago too....This really is crazy.  I am not a virgin, and my bofriend is not either.  As a matter of fact i'm 28 and he's 37....that doesn't make a difference, but I just wanted to let you know that when I said i have been faithful I just mean that we've been together for 9 months and I for a fact have not been with anyone else, and I don't believe he did.  I don't know about the test.  The receptionist was a ***** to me on the phone when I was asking for my results.  But I believe she said 1.6...I wonder if she meant 1.06 or 1.6???!!!  I'm so confused.

[pc09]

Hey everyone.  It's been 72 hours and I had to beg to get my swab test over the phone.  I'm devestasted to know that the IGG test came back positive for HSV-1 at a 1.06.  The HSV-2test was unresponsive/negative.  What the hell does all of this mean.  And how am i suppose to tell my guy?  Daisy i mean does the whole sex life change?  I told him that i needed to talk to him, but I have no idea how i'm going to tell him this.  Again, i've never had an outbreak before, I've never cheated on him, and I LOVE this man with everything in me.  I don't know what to do.

[2facedfrankie]

hi. calm down. be honets with your partner and take him to the doctor withu when u get your results. be honest now or it could get ugly later  if u have it. i have it and i have someone who loved me enough to still be with me even though i gave it to him. he din't get it untill after we were both tested and he came back clean. if uhave it. get on suppressive thearapy and keep your stress levels down and you'll rarely have outbreaks. ii hope you don't have it though because herpes outbreaks can be excruitiating

[Alex525]

Im saying you should make him aware of your concern. Who knows it might just turn out to be nothing. But if you make him aware you may be able to educate yourselves in the process and make the situation easier to talk about if you do have something since its already been brought up.

Ok you already have been checked out..

what do you think will be harder on him...

You telling him your concerned about something and you got checked out and your awaiting results together.... and then when u find out u tell him...

or

You finding out after the fact you have something but havent told him.. and you break the news to him out of the blue.. without him even knowing what you have been going through.. does this make sense?

[pc09]

So you're saying that I should tell him without having the test results?

[pc09]

Thanks daisy...I'm crossing my finger

[Alex525]

Well take my situation for example.. Ive met someone in Late February who i have absolutely falling in love with... we soon became sexually active without protection and then decided to get checked out (dumb move i know).. i had sex with a prior friend with benefits last and one occasion with protection with someone in another country.. prior to meeting her.. anyways now.. i have been diagnosed with herpes hsv2... genital herpes... but before i knew the results i told her.. that i was worried about the results because i had glanced at them prior to the doctor actually telling me. So i told her that i had gotten tested and that the doctor wanted to talk to me.. he had called me.. that night we talked about it.. obviously we were with concerned and she just told me as long as its not HIV she doesnt really care because she doesnt want to die.. we talked about other STDs and i believe it helped talk to me about it.. i guess to basically think worst case scenario.. kinda selfish i know but at least we are still together and hopefully we still will be when she finds out whether she has it or not.. Regardless its best to be truthful.. as cheezy and cliche as it is.. its always the best policy..

[pc09]

Thanks Alex,

It is taking everything in me not contact him before I get the test results.  I trust him and don't want him to think otherwise and I'm also scared that he will assume that I'm being unfaithful to him and that's not the case at all.  Hopefully i'll get something told to me soon.  Thanks again.

[Alex525]

The best thing you can do is wait for your results and let him know about your concern and that although you both may have been faithful one of you may have possibly carried it and not known. Obviously this could be nothing.. another possiblity is also HPV which your body naturally suppresses it and could be cancer forming depending on the strand.

Although if it is HPV and you have a wart most likely it wont be cancer forming and within 6 -24 months your body suppresses it and you wont really have to worry about it. Good luck!

[pc09]

Thanks for the input daisy.  This is driving me insane and I don't know how i'm going to tell him....I don't want to lose him, but I guess I'll just have to wait until the test results come back.

[daisy315]

Indeed it is possible for either of you to have Herpes and been asymptomatic until now,it's not always about cheating,either of you could have had it for a long time before you ever met and didn't know .....
The swab the Doctor took will tell whether it is Herpes or not but your b/f needs to be checked out also to see what his STD status is too .....
Don't either of you assume cheating is the cause even if it does turn out that either you or him have Herpes many people have Herpes for years and don't even know they have until something shows up.

Daisy