Aa
Possible herpes exposure
I recently had sex with a woman, and before sex I asked her if she was clean and stated that I had recently been tested and came back negative. She said she hadnt had sex in a year and that she didnt have anything.
I had unprotected oral sex & protected sex with her (using a condom), It WASNT very rigorous sex and I ejaculated within 5 minutes. Out of paranoia and OCD, I normally use the bathroom after sex and wash my penis and urinate (which I did). When I was in her bathroom I noticed in her medicine cabinet she had a bottle that was marked "valacyclovir" which I didnt think twice about until I got home, googled and it came up as valtrex. I immediately contacted her by text message about why she was taking that, she called me and told me she didnt expect to have this conversation. She said she had genital HSV1 and has had it for over 10 years, and she didnt even think to tell me because she hasnt had an outbreak in 4 years. She said shes had many longterm sexual partners who have never contracted it from her and in her words she "cannot" spread it.
She said her outbreak was only on her anus when she had it, and uses the valtrex to deal with itching and burning she gets on her anus (she says she has never had it in/on her vagina) I may have had contact with the exposed parts of my penis and scrotum with her genitals. I have had cold sores in the past on my mouth and tested positive for HSV1 and negative for HSV2 as early as 2 months ago. She assures me that I wont get anything. When I got home, I immediately showered and used vinegar & rubbing alcohol in my genital area.
How worried should I be? this happened last night and Ive had a rough night of sleep thinking about this.
I figure if she'd lie about having genital HSV1 , its possible she'd lie about actually having HSV2 since HSV1 sounds more common....
I had unprotected oral sex & protected sex with her (using a condom), It WASNT very rigorous sex and I ejaculated within 5 minutes. Out of paranoia and OCD, I normally use the bathroom after sex and wash my penis and urinate (which I did). When I was in her bathroom I noticed in her medicine cabinet she had a bottle that was marked "valacyclovir" which I didnt think twice about until I got home, googled and it came up as valtrex. I immediately contacted her by text message about why she was taking that, she called me and told me she didnt expect to have this conversation. She said she had genital HSV1 and has had it for over 10 years, and she didnt even think to tell me because she hasnt had an outbreak in 4 years. She said shes had many longterm sexual partners who have never contracted it from her and in her words she "cannot" spread it.
She said her outbreak was only on her anus when she had it, and uses the valtrex to deal with itching and burning she gets on her anus (she says she has never had it in/on her vagina) I may have had contact with the exposed parts of my penis and scrotum with her genitals. I have had cold sores in the past on my mouth and tested positive for HSV1 and negative for HSV2 as early as 2 months ago. She assures me that I wont get anything. When I got home, I immediately showered and used vinegar & rubbing alcohol in my genital area.
How worried should I be? this happened last night and Ive had a rough night of sleep thinking about this.
I figure if she'd lie about having genital HSV1 , its possible she'd lie about actually having HSV2 since HSV1 sounds more common....
Best Answer
People can and do take valtrex for HSV-1 outbreaks. You're doctor is wrong. Now if she is taking it only during an outbreak or take it for daily therapy. It's not widely used because HSV-1 doesn't have the reoccurances pattern that HSV-2 has in most people. Most people have 1 outbreak a year or a few times a year and some have one and then never again. Most people that take the medicine take it to help prevent transmission (daily therapy) and the others take it to speed up healing of outbreaks (eposidic therapy).
By your own logic you were just as dishonest by not telling her about your HSV-1. You gave her the same risk for HSV-1 infection if she has HSV-2 as she did for putting you at risk. Because she was "clean" as you put it (which isn't the right word to use having an STD doesn't make you dirty not showering makes you dirty). You don't know that she was taking those pills daily or if she has the medicine for when an outbreak occurs and takes it then. You assumed a lot of things.
Bottom line is this. If you have a bump rash lump or anything abnormal in your skin you need to see your doctor within 24-48 hours for a lesion culture or PCR testing. There doesn't have to be liquid in the bump just the same procedure for a lesion culture. Have it sent to a lab and request typing. Easy as that. Other than that wait 3 months for a type specific test.
By your own logic you were just as dishonest by not telling her about your HSV-1. You gave her the same risk for HSV-1 infection if she has HSV-2 as she did for putting you at risk. Because she was "clean" as you put it (which isn't the right word to use having an STD doesn't make you dirty not showering makes you dirty). You don't know that she was taking those pills daily or if she has the medicine for when an outbreak occurs and takes it then. You assumed a lot of things.
Bottom line is this. If you have a bump rash lump or anything abnormal in your skin you need to see your doctor within 24-48 hours for a lesion culture or PCR testing. There doesn't have to be liquid in the bump just the same procedure for a lesion culture. Have it sent to a lab and request typing. Easy as that. Other than that wait 3 months for a type specific test.
The problem with her telling me flat out that she is HSV1 positive on her genitals was she told me flat out before sex that she didnt have anything, so how am I to believe she doesnt actually have hsv2? when I told one of my doctors she takes valacyclovir for HSV1 genitally, the doctor told me that cant be the case & that she probly has HSV2
It is a support forum. If you had herpes to worry about. A single bump or even a bump every other week isn't herpes. There is no need to ask for advice you have been advised on the proper steps to take. You fail to take them. If you disagree with your provider ask to have the "bump" swabed to be sent for a culture or pcr testing.
Is it odd? No. But I think you will find though that its the "car effect". By the "car effect" I mean when you are driving down the road you will easily notice cars that are the same model as yours. You typically ignore the other "common" cars. For example I drove a Dodge Neon for 5 years. I noticed just about every other neon on the street. When I changed to the Chevy HHR I thought I had a car that not a lot of people had. But within the first week I was seeing them everywhere.
In your case the "car effect" is now you are WORRIED about herpes so every little bump is jumping out at you. Every unexplainiable event you are freaking out thinking it is herpes. The forum is limited to giving advice which in your case we have done. We told you that you had HSV-1 orally and that your risk for HSV-1 genitally which is what your partner has is less than a low risk. There really is no risk because your body now has an immune response to fighting the infection. It's like chickenpox. If you get chicenpox you don't need to get the vaccine because your body has the immune response to fighting the chickenpox virus off and from causing symptoms. If you haven't had chickenpox and you come into contact (as adult it is bad but as a kid in general) you are going to get it. Because your body doesn't know how to fight that infection. Once it learns and creates the anitbody well you now don't have to worry about it.
If there was a concern we would tell you that you had something to worry about. But your partner flat out yes after the fact told you it was HSV-1 genital. The fact is she knows she has HSV-1 genital and even at that HSV-1 genitally doesn't have a high reoccurance rate or high shedding (5% of days per year compared to HSV-2 20% of days per year). So this alone puts a big damper in the transmission risk even if you were HSV-1 negative. Then you have to consider the overall risk. If she wasn't having an outbreak (given she knows what they feel like and said she hasn't had one) you have only the shedding to worry about (which is 18.25 days in 365 calendar days).
Now given that we have now put the transmission risks for HSV-1 genital in perspective let's now look at it in your case. You have HSV-1 already (you have had cold sores which is caused by HSV and in majority of cases it is HSV-1 because HSV-2 is rare in the oral location) which gave your body that immune response to fight the infection. Furthermore not every contact with someone who has HSV is going to lead to infection. So really whats the risk?
If you are going to ask if you should see a doctor on these forums you are going to be told yes. You have seen 3 of them. At some point you have to move past it. This is your point. We can't tell you to test because if you test you will come back HSV-1 positive but that isn't going to tell you that it was genital. Believe me there is a method to our "madness" in that you need the culture to prove your HSV-1 genital.
Even on a support forum people have to "move on" past things. This is the move on phase.
Is it odd? No. But I think you will find though that its the "car effect". By the "car effect" I mean when you are driving down the road you will easily notice cars that are the same model as yours. You typically ignore the other "common" cars. For example I drove a Dodge Neon for 5 years. I noticed just about every other neon on the street. When I changed to the Chevy HHR I thought I had a car that not a lot of people had. But within the first week I was seeing them everywhere.
In your case the "car effect" is now you are WORRIED about herpes so every little bump is jumping out at you. Every unexplainiable event you are freaking out thinking it is herpes. The forum is limited to giving advice which in your case we have done. We told you that you had HSV-1 orally and that your risk for HSV-1 genitally which is what your partner has is less than a low risk. There really is no risk because your body now has an immune response to fighting the infection. It's like chickenpox. If you get chicenpox you don't need to get the vaccine because your body has the immune response to fighting the chickenpox virus off and from causing symptoms. If you haven't had chickenpox and you come into contact (as adult it is bad but as a kid in general) you are going to get it. Because your body doesn't know how to fight that infection. Once it learns and creates the anitbody well you now don't have to worry about it.
If there was a concern we would tell you that you had something to worry about. But your partner flat out yes after the fact told you it was HSV-1 genital. The fact is she knows she has HSV-1 genital and even at that HSV-1 genitally doesn't have a high reoccurance rate or high shedding (5% of days per year compared to HSV-2 20% of days per year). So this alone puts a big damper in the transmission risk even if you were HSV-1 negative. Then you have to consider the overall risk. If she wasn't having an outbreak (given she knows what they feel like and said she hasn't had one) you have only the shedding to worry about (which is 18.25 days in 365 calendar days).
Now given that we have now put the transmission risks for HSV-1 genital in perspective let's now look at it in your case. You have HSV-1 already (you have had cold sores which is caused by HSV and in majority of cases it is HSV-1 because HSV-2 is rare in the oral location) which gave your body that immune response to fight the infection. Furthermore not every contact with someone who has HSV is going to lead to infection. So really whats the risk?
If you are going to ask if you should see a doctor on these forums you are going to be told yes. You have seen 3 of them. At some point you have to move past it. This is your point. We can't tell you to test because if you test you will come back HSV-1 positive but that isn't going to tell you that it was genital. Believe me there is a method to our "madness" in that you need the culture to prove your HSV-1 genital.
Even on a support forum people have to "move on" past things. This is the move on phase.
Im just concerned because after I see every doctor, I get another spot come up...and Its within 3 weeks of the encounter, should I not be worried and asking for advice?
Isnt it odd to have 3 ingrown hairs within 3 weeks? Im not used to having them this often...it could be just sh*t luck but this is a support forum I thought?
Isnt it odd to have 3 ingrown hairs within 3 weeks? Im not used to having them this often...it could be just sh*t luck but this is a support forum I thought?
And everyone of them has said not herpes. How many more people do you need to tell you it isn't herpes and move on? I mean you are running out of people.
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
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.
if you are doubting her honesty about which type she has, you need to wait 3 months after the encounter for type specific herpes igg blood testing.
did you let her know that you have hsv1 orally when you had your "talk" prior to sex?
grace