Aa
Unprotected insertive oral sex
I was sucked by a person of uncertain herpes status (no reason to suspect that this person had herpes and in fact they told me they were 100% free of all STDs). I was not wearing a condom. Well wouldn't you know that about two days later I came with a pretty serious flu that lasted two days. Of course this now has me scared. Am I at a substantial risk of having contracted herpes? If so, how long must I wait to test?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Flu symptoms with no genital lesions does not suggest herpes to me.
Have you ever in your whole life had a cold sore? If yes, then you almost certainly have HSV 1 oral infection. That makes it highly unlikely that you would acquire HSV 1 genitally, which is the most common herpes to be transmitted by oral sex. I would advise that you keep an eye out for genital lesions for about 10 days after the contact. If you have nothing, then I feel pretty certain that the flu symptoms are not related to herpes.
Have you ever been tested for herpes in the past? If you've ever had intercourse, you could have herpes and not know it. But in terms of THIS encounter, if you develop no lesions, I think herpes infection is not likely.
Terri
Have you ever in your whole life had a cold sore? If yes, then you almost certainly have HSV 1 oral infection. That makes it highly unlikely that you would acquire HSV 1 genitally, which is the most common herpes to be transmitted by oral sex. I would advise that you keep an eye out for genital lesions for about 10 days after the contact. If you have nothing, then I feel pretty certain that the flu symptoms are not related to herpes.
Have you ever been tested for herpes in the past? If you've ever had intercourse, you could have herpes and not know it. But in terms of THIS encounter, if you develop no lesions, I think herpes infection is not likely.
Terri
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It really isn't cool to be posting here for you when you haven't "gone through they system" of this website, but just once more, I will. The lab may still have your culture, ask that typing be added, it is VERY important. Have your doc call the lab directly - they often hold the specimen for a week beyond calling it positive. Otherwise, wait 12-16 weeks and get IgG testing only, not IgM. You can only know that something is first infection if your swab test is positive for a specific type, and your antibody is negative that type, that's usually first infection.
Terri
Terri
Terri,
The doctor called the other day and indicated my culture was positive but not determined. They stated that since the treatment is the same, they were not concerned in finding out the status, of 1 or 2.
This has me up in arms about how do I find out what strain I have. All of the blood test information I have read has me really confused. I am uninsured so I would like to find an accurate online web testing lab that will get it right the first go round as this appears to be $100.00 plus. I have reviewed all the information on your website but am still confused.
I guess I have to wait 12-16 weeks, to get the most accurate result correct? And will that also give me an infection time frame, ie that this is my first ob?
The doctor called the other day and indicated my culture was positive but not determined. They stated that since the treatment is the same, they were not concerned in finding out the status, of 1 or 2.
This has me up in arms about how do I find out what strain I have. All of the blood test information I have read has me really confused. I am uninsured so I would like to find an accurate online web testing lab that will get it right the first go round as this appears to be $100.00 plus. I have reviewed all the information on your website but am still confused.
I guess I have to wait 12-16 weeks, to get the most accurate result correct? And will that also give me an infection time frame, ie that this is my first ob?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
If all of this is the case, and you do have herpes, which you really don't know yet, then yes, it would likely be HSV 1 infection. The outbreaks would be limited or it may not recur. Let me know about the results, OK? Were bacterial cultures of the urine also done?
Terri
Terri
Terri,
I have recently been swabbed and am still awaiting the results. My partner performed oral sex on me and within 3 days I was having painful urination. He did not have any symptoms or any outbreaks. So I am going to assume that his case(HSV-1) of shedding has now caused me to have genital herpes. If this is the case, would it most likely be HSV-1? and in reading the posts, are the ob then really limited?
I have recently been swabbed and am still awaiting the results. My partner performed oral sex on me and within 3 days I was having painful urination. He did not have any symptoms or any outbreaks. So I am going to assume that his case(HSV-1) of shedding has now caused me to have genital herpes. If this is the case, would it most likely be HSV-1? and in reading the posts, are the ob then really limited?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Whew, I'm so glad, a perfect explanation for a sore throat. Who ever knew you could be so glad to get strep! Hope you are going to feel better very soon.
Terri
Terri
Hi Terry:
Well lo and behold the doctor called to say that the throat culture came back positive for strep. He didn't know why the nurse said it was negative. In any event, I am now 11 days past the contact that had me worried with none of the classic physical symptoms of herpes on or near my genitals or mouth. So I am just going to keep closely monitoring these areas for another 9 days or so and then put this whole episode past me. Thanks for your help!
Well lo and behold the doctor called to say that the throat culture came back positive for strep. He didn't know why the nurse said it was negative. In any event, I am now 11 days past the contact that had me worried with none of the classic physical symptoms of herpes on or near my genitals or mouth. So I am just going to keep closely monitoring these areas for another 9 days or so and then put this whole episode past me. Thanks for your help!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It sounds very much to me like you do NOT have herpes. four days is a very short time for herpes to resolve, especially first episode infection. How about if you just believe that the antibiotic worked because you had a bacterial infection?
Its OK to be freaked out and to investigate the issues you are freaked out about.
Very unlikely to get HSV 2 by kissing. HSV 2 doesn't like the mouth and recurs and sheds there very infrequently.
Terri
Its OK to be freaked out and to investigate the issues you are freaked out about.
Very unlikely to get HSV 2 by kissing. HSV 2 doesn't like the mouth and recurs and sheds there very infrequently.
Terri
Hi Terri:
Sorry for babbling over so many posts. After mentally digesting all that has happened since your last reply (including the swab culture results), here are my questions, succinctly stated:
1) As stated above, I had the flu-like symptoms and then the whitish coating on my throat/tonsils which had the appearance of strep (which now apparently is not the case, based on the swab culture results). This has me fearing HSV-1 again (because it was not strep) but wouldn't HSV-1 also exhibit the classic pimples, sores, chancres, lesions and not just the whitish coating? So far, I have not had one single pimple, sore, chancre, or lesion in or around my mouth or genital areas.
2) I would like to take comfort in the fact that the antibiotic (Clindamycin) appears to have been so effective, because of course as an antibiotic it only would work on bacteria, and HSV is not a bacteria but a virus, so if it worked then whatever it worked against was not HSV (because HSV is a virus). But I have to concede the possibility that if the problem was viral, it may just have been winding down anyway, and so the antibiotic merely gave the appearance of working because of the coincidental timing. But isn't four days an awfully short period of time for the symptoms of an initial HSV infection to clear up? From what I'm reading online, it normally takes weeks. So if this four-day resolution period just seems too short for HSV (I'm asking by the way, not stating), can I be reasonably confident that it really was the antibiotic that killed the flu-like symptoms?
Any insight would be much appreciated. And again sorry for the multiple posts - this is the first time I have ever dealt with anything like this and as I'm sure you can tell, I'm freaking out a bit. Thank you so much for your help.
Sorry for babbling over so many posts. After mentally digesting all that has happened since your last reply (including the swab culture results), here are my questions, succinctly stated:
1) As stated above, I had the flu-like symptoms and then the whitish coating on my throat/tonsils which had the appearance of strep (which now apparently is not the case, based on the swab culture results). This has me fearing HSV-1 again (because it was not strep) but wouldn't HSV-1 also exhibit the classic pimples, sores, chancres, lesions and not just the whitish coating? So far, I have not had one single pimple, sore, chancre, or lesion in or around my mouth or genital areas.
2) I would like to take comfort in the fact that the antibiotic (Clindamycin) appears to have been so effective, because of course as an antibiotic it only would work on bacteria, and HSV is not a bacteria but a virus, so if it worked then whatever it worked against was not HSV (because HSV is a virus). But I have to concede the possibility that if the problem was viral, it may just have been winding down anyway, and so the antibiotic merely gave the appearance of working because of the coincidental timing. But isn't four days an awfully short period of time for the symptoms of an initial HSV infection to clear up? From what I'm reading online, it normally takes weeks. So if this four-day resolution period just seems too short for HSV (I'm asking by the way, not stating), can I be reasonably confident that it really was the antibiotic that killed the flu-like symptoms?
Any insight would be much appreciated. And again sorry for the multiple posts - this is the first time I have ever dealt with anything like this and as I'm sure you can tell, I'm freaking out a bit. Thank you so much for your help.
Hi Terri:
Okay, latest update. The swab results came back as "negative". When I asked the nurse if this meant negative for both bacteria and viruses, she seemed to not know exactly, but just kept stating that it came back "negative" and further stated that when they cultured the swab in a petri dish "nothing grew" (I guess it would grow if there were some bacteria or viruses there?). In any event, I feel a qualified sense of relief at the "negative" results, but I do have to say that as a medical layman they sort of don't seem to make sense - I was definitely very ill, so shouldn't the illness have been caused by either a bacteria or a virus? How could the result just be "negative"? Shouldn't the result have been "negative" for every bacteria and virus except the one that actually caused the illness, and then "positive" for whatever bacteria or virus caused the illness, thus allowing us to identify the culprit? Please help as I am now confused. Thanks.
Okay, latest update. The swab results came back as "negative". When I asked the nurse if this meant negative for both bacteria and viruses, she seemed to not know exactly, but just kept stating that it came back "negative" and further stated that when they cultured the swab in a petri dish "nothing grew" (I guess it would grow if there were some bacteria or viruses there?). In any event, I feel a qualified sense of relief at the "negative" results, but I do have to say that as a medical layman they sort of don't seem to make sense - I was definitely very ill, so shouldn't the illness have been caused by either a bacteria or a virus? How could the result just be "negative"? Shouldn't the result have been "negative" for every bacteria and virus except the one that actually caused the illness, and then "positive" for whatever bacteria or virus caused the illness, thus allowing us to identify the culprit? Please help as I am now confused. Thanks.
P.P.S. Is it possible to get HSV-2 oral from kissing? Just to reiterate, the only unprotected contact between our bodies was her mouth to my mouth and later her mouth to my penis.
P.S. To answer a question that you had posed earlier, I have never had a cold sore and on my last STD exam (which was before this sexual contact that we are discussing), I was negative for both HSV-1 and HSV-2.
I did not give her oral sex, but we did kiss with some tongue involved.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Were you the giver of oral sex to her? If not, there is no way it would get into your mouth, unless you also kissed her? I'm a little confused now.
Terri
Terri
Thank you Terri. Ok so I went to the doctor yesterday. He looked at my throat, said it looked like strep, prescribed me clindamycin, and took a swab (should have the results early next week). So far I am encouraged by the fact that after only eighteen hours (three doses) of this antibiotic, all of my symptoms (headache, bodyache, chills) are gone and only the sore throat remains. I realize of course that this is not entirely conclusive, because if I do have the HSV-1 virus, it might just be that it was on its way to winding down anyway and the antibiotics had nothing to do with it. I guess we'll see when the swab results come back.
We are now to day six after this sexual contact that I am worried about, and still no sores, pimples, chancres, lesions, etc. in or around my mouth or genital area. Needless to say, I will be monitoring closely for the next several days.
So, based on this is and my prior email, is it looking like the worst case scenario is oral HSV-1 infection, provided I don't show any sores, pimples, chancres, lesions, etc. in or around my genital area within the next week or so?
We are now to day six after this sexual contact that I am worried about, and still no sores, pimples, chancres, lesions, etc. in or around my mouth or genital area. Needless to say, I will be monitoring closely for the next several days.
So, based on this is and my prior email, is it looking like the worst case scenario is oral HSV-1 infection, provided I don't show any sores, pimples, chancres, lesions, etc. in or around my genital area within the next week or so?
You are reading content posted in the Herpes Forum
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.
