Outbreak after 7 years asymptomatic! Need help!

[Eren_boy246]

Hello,

In 2013 I tested positive to hsv2 on a blood test, since then I never once had a single symptom whatsoever. I once thought I did but it was actually Molluscum that my doctor cleared up easily. about 2 weeks ago it was very cold where I live and I think it somehow triggered an outbreak, I got the produce and then one single bump. After a few days that bump was incredibly sensitive to the touch and hurt like a really bad bruise. I took Lysine supplements and applied lysine cream because I heard it helps, Not sure if it made a difference but the bump went away in a little over 2 weeks.

This really came out of nowhere and so I have some questions:

1. Does this mean now I will start to regularly have outbreaks since I had my first one? Or this is a rare occurrence for someone who's been asymptomatic?

2. Online it says that I should wait a full week after the outbreak 'ends' in order to have sex again? I want to be safe and not transmit it and would like to know what the community thinks of this guideline?

3. The bump is gone, but the small patch of skin were the bump was is still a bit red, does this mean the outbreak is not fully over or could it be scarring? (I was touching it a lot trying to figure out what it was through out the 2 weeks)

[auntiejessi]

Lysine doesn't do much, based on studies, but some people swear by it. Your mileage may vary.

1. Does this mean now I will start to regularly have outbreaks since I had my first one? Or this is a rare occurrence for someone who's been asymptomatic?

Unfortunately, only time will tell. There's no way of predicting this. I assume it's been very cold before where you live (unless you just moved to a cold climate), and you've gotten through those cold winters without any outbreaks, so it's possible this was a one-off. Maybe something else triggered it - stress, another illness, a secondary infection like gonorrhea or chlamydia, etc. Sometimes, they are just seemingly random and we don't know why.

2. Online it says that I should wait a full week after the outbreak 'ends' in order to have sex again? I want to be safe and not transmit it and would like to know what the community thinks of this guideline?

I say wait until the skin has healed to have sex again. The full week guideline is based on shedding, which can be increased after an outbreak. The thing with shedding is that we don't know how much virus needs to be present to transmit (and it probably varies from person to person).

Are you in a relationship with a negative person? If you are, you might want to consider suppressive therapy, with daily Valtrex or acyclovir, which can reduce transmission by at least half.

3. The bump is gone, but the small patch of skin were the bump was is still a bit red, does this mean the outbreak is not fully over or could it be scarring? (I was touching it a lot trying to figure out what it was through out the 2 weeks)

It's a lot like if you skinned your knee. The redness will linger for a bit after the scrape is gone. It's healed, but the skin may take some time to go back to "normal".