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Possible to have herpes 15+ years and not know it!?

I'm so worried at the moment, as I strongly suspect I have genital herpes. I've been married to my husband for 15+ years , and together 18, and have never strayed. I honestly don't think he has either.
We have the last year spiced things up in the bedroom and have started using a vibrator on me only. with the vibrator, sex is a little rougher than normal. In the last 4 months I have had two incidents after rough sex where a couple days later I felt very irritated and sore around the right side of my labia. The 1st time I didn't look, but the area was just very painful and I felt a small bump. Thought not much of it, and it was all back to normal in a week or so. Fast forward to last week, and after some rough sex, in the same spot I was very sore, I took some pictures and it was just really red and inflamed and did feel 'bumpy" under the skin. The area was itchy, and I did have a tingly sensation from the vagina canal though it felt similar to being aroused. I felt generally unwell, was tired and I had a headache for two days. ( perhaps coincidence as both kids were down the week before with viral and same feelings of unwell) However, it just didn't seem that I should let it pass as it was very sore and I couldn't even have the shower touch it with out feeling like I wanted to faint! I took pictures to monitor it myself, and about after a few days  it showed what looked like two small scratches or crackes that were barely visible. My husband described it as if I had scratched myself and left two small nail marks. I know that at the beginning of symptoms a week previous, I was itchy and did try and relieve the itch in my sleep one night, but after that I didn't touch the area as it was to painful. I live in the Middle East, things are not as open here, and are different.  Without going into that detail I went private to see a gynaecologist, so that I didn't need to have my husband present. I told her, all the above symptoms leaving out the rough sex bit and she had a look. I pointed out where I was sore and she she said yes, very red and inflamed and also said the same about the entry though I couldn't feel any irritation from that area. She said I had discharge, and it is yeast. ( discharge was creamy white) not lumpy like yeast. She took a swab, I don't think from the spot but from the inner vagina and tested for yeast, BV as well culture and urine sample. Prescribed a pesserary, two different creams, one hydrocortisone the other monistat and a week prescription of tablets for fungal treatment, booked a follow up for 3 days later to get my swab results. After the appointment, I immediately used the cream, and used the pessary that night. The next morning, my 'cracks' had gone and redness gone down and it was feeling normal, was feeling relieved but also suspicious as I thought it pretty quick for treatment to work. Yesterday was day 3 to get my swab results. ALL NEGATIVE for fungal, And everything else normal. So I said it can't be yeast, as laboratory results. She said, yes dear I see with my eyes, it is fungal and shrugged her shoulders at the lab results.
I think it's herpes, and it just so happened to clear up/run it's normal course at the time I started fungal treatment. I can't get tested for herpes here, without problems from the ministry. I will back in the uk in December and can visit a GUM clinic or my GP then, I guess I'm just scared that my past has come back to haunt me! I would appreciate anyone opinion, own experience and general thoughts. I have read, that a lot of people live with herpes and not know it, but seriously, could it take me 15 years to find out?!
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15249123 tn?1478652475
I seriously doubt hsv is the source of your issues. The meds helping so quickly is a dead give away. They would have zero effect on hsv and very often can make it worse. If you did have hsv before marriage then the odds are your husband would have it as well and for both of you to be totally asymptotic would not be likely.
You were probably tested for hsv during pregnancy. All this together makes hsv very unlikely.
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Thank you for responding, your answer has made me feel better.
I just wanted to update this post, I have just this week tested positive for HSV 1 in the genitals. I’ve always suspected, but was never sure. A relief to know, and now after all these years getting treatment.
You could have gotten this after posting about it here and probably did .  It's been three years and you'd have tested positive before now if it was related to your original concern.  But I am definitely sorry to hear about the diagnosis.  
Thanks for the update.

If your husband performs oral sex on you, you could have gotten that from him genitally at any point in your relationship if he has oral hsv1. He could have it and not know it, as 90% of those with oral hsv1 never get a cold sore, but they can still transmit it.

You could have also gotten that prior to this relationship and not known it, as well.

The meds helping so quickly could have meant that you had yeast and a herpes outbreak at the same time - lab results are never 100% accurate and depend a lot on the collection of the specimen.

In any case, you might not ever know a lot about the when and how, but it doesn't matter so much. What are you getting for treatment? How were you diagnosed?
I had an IgG blood test, which shows antibodies to HSV 1 and 2. My count for 1, was 22.1 and 2, .005.
My outbreaks are much more common and noticeable now after the last 3 years than before. My Dr said it’s possibly because I’m premenopausal, and not as fit and healthy as I was in my 20’s. I’d agree with her, as My symptoms use to be so mild, they were always passed off as a vag infection, or some other mild irritation as they were few and far between.

Now, I get terrible headache, body aches, and a numbness a day or so before getting red, inflamed and irritated (same location) in the vulva area. It’s prodrome symptoms which I’ve never had. Yet, still no blisters, or painful ulcers, which my Dr says herpes can show it’s self in many ways, it’s why 80% of people do t know they have it.

I’ll be 21 years with my husband this month, I believe hand on heart he’s been 100% faithful to me, as I to him so don’t think it’s something of contracted in the last few years or recently. It’s always been there, just like I said very mild.

I use a cream which was suggested to me by the herpes association in the UK called Lomaherpan, which works somewhat like tea tree oil. It relieves the itching and irritation externally. Also, when I’m active with prodrome symptoms I’ll take Valaciclovir for 5 days.
Have you considered going on suppressive therapy, like daily valtrex, so you don't get these symptoms? If they don't stop, it's not all herpes related.

Have you been tested for yeast and bacterial vaginosis? How often are you getting the itching and irritation? I'm not saying you don't have herpes, but I'm wondering if you have a secondary infection like yeast or BV that is triggering all these outbreaks and symptoms.

If you take valtrex soon enough when prodrome starts, I'm not all that surprised you aren't getting actual sores. I've been able to stop outbreaks, too, if I get to them in time.

Your cream that you use says it can stop an outbreak. It won't. It may help relieve some of the symptoms, but it can't stop the virus. If it helps with the other symptoms, great. I just don't want you to waste money.




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