really scared

[ilovgarf]

I recently had oral sex with a guy who i noticed after the fact had a red bump on his lip.  He said it was a cold sore.  It was not an open sore.  I do not have any sores yet but I am scared that I may get herpes.  How long before anything appears? Im really scared and dont know what to do.

                                                                                Tina


                                                                                

[ilovgarf]

Thank you so much for your knowledge, i do feel better.  Ive also learned my lesson and will never do anything again like that.  thanks again.

[Emma_08]

If he performed oral sex on your with a visible cold sore, there is a possibility that you may get genital HSV-1.  Just be on the lookout for any unusual bumps or rashes in your genital area.  It might be about a week, or it could be much longer.  If you get a lesion, go to the doc ASAP to get it cultured, because this is the most accurate test.  However, it is possible that you have asymptomatic oral HSV-1 already (about 60% of the US population does) and are immune to getting it genitally.  However, this is where things get tricky.  If you get a blood test and are positive for HSV-1, you won't be able to tell if you have an oral or genital infection (unless this happened very recently and you get tested now - if you are positive, it is from a previous infection, as it would be too soon for antibodies to have developed from your exposure).  Bottom line -- be on the lookout for any unusual bumps or rashes.  But if you do have genital HSV-1, outbreaks are milder than HSV-2 and they occur less frequently - sometimes only a few times after initial outbreak and sometimes never again after initial outbreak.  Hope this helps.
Best,
Em