Possible HSV-1 autoinoculation?

[sally1234553]

Last October I experienced my first cold sore breakout, with large pink bumps in my mouth.  I have no idea where I got them from, because my boyfriend has never had any sort of cold sores (unless he has carried the virus and never had an outbreak).  I was unaware what was going on, so I was no taking as many precautions as I should have.  I remember inspecting my cold sore in the mirror, and I foolishly did not wash my hands afterwards.  A little while later, I put in a tampon, meaning the my fingers that touched my cold sores came into contact with my vaginal area.  It was not until I discovered that I had cold sores that I realized the danger of what I did.

I was extremely paranoid over the next few weeks, constantly checking to make sure everything was okay.  About two months later, I noticed a small cut on my perineum.  Of course I was freaking out, and checking it every five minutes.  After I stopped investigating it so much, it began to heal and was gone within two days.  Ever since then, this cut has come back about once a month.  I have not been able to have it checked by a doctor because it heals so quickly.  Now, it it usually gone within 24 hours.  There is no pain or itching, and I can usually only tell if it's there when I wipe after using the restroom.  It never oozes or scabs over, it simply disappears.  I can however always see the spot where it appears if i look at the right angle.  

I asked my doctor if it could have been a result of autoinoculation, but she simply brushed it off and said that autoinoculation was very unlikely or everyone would have herpes.  Another doctor I asked said that it didn't sound like herpes but I should still have someone look at it, but it just goes away too quickly.  What are the chances that this truly is herpes?  It has been causing me a great deal of anxiety over the past year and I would like to know if I'm overreacting.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

You are welcome!

Terri

[sally1234553]

I will do that, thank you for your help!

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Yes, a swab test of a sore would help certainly, and a blood test also to confirm that you are infected.

Terri

[sally1234553]

He has never had any symptoms of HSV so I guess the only way they could have happened was if he was shedding the virus and I performed oral sex on him and then we had sex (he has never performed oral sex on me)?  And the only way I'll really be able to figure anything out is by getting the cut tested if a blood test confirms that I do carry the HSV virus?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Sometimes cold sore do appear on the edge of the lip, I would say its about a 50-50 chance that these sores are caused by HSV 1.  If this is herpes, it would be  highly unlikely that you would transfer it to a new location UNLESS you got both oral and genital infection at the same time from your boyfriend.  That is, of course, assuming this is herpes on your mouth.

Terri

[sally1234553]

Since you mentioned canker sores, I've began to research them more.  I had always accepted I had cold sores since that's what the doctor had told me, but what I'm finding is making me doubt that.  The pictures of canker sores look very similar to what I get (far more than the cold sore pictures) with a white sore on the inside of the lip with a red ring around it.  I plan on going and getting a blood test this week to confirm if these sores are cold sores or canker sores.

But say these are cold sores, what are the chances this cut I always get in the same place is a result of me spreading the virus to another place on my body?  And what else could it be?  I was tested for all STDs (except HSV) a couple of months ago and everything came back negative.

[sally1234553]

Went I went to the doctor he simply looked at the sores and gave me a prescription for Valtrex, I was never tested.  This was my first outbreak though, and I think I've read somewhere that sores develop in the mouth during the first outbreak.  Is this correct?

Since then, I've have three more sores, which I am positive are cold sores.  They start out as a hard bump on the inside my lip and become a sore, and close up in about eight days.  I used to pick my lips very badly (to the point where they would bleed) as a nervous habit, and I discovered that when I did this cold sores would develop in the exact same spot.  Since then I have made a conscious effort to not pick my lips and I have not had any more sores.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Cold sores don't normally happen IN the mouth, but rather on the outside of the mouth or in the nose or on the chin.   Do you mean canker sores?  Were the sores tested to see if they were due to HSV 1 infection?  

Terri