When are you contagious from?

[Justin43]

Hi - just a quick question. I have just had my first herpes outbreak, and been diagnosed with it (got a swab test done - came back positive HSV 2 ). I got in contact with my previous partner (was in a relationship with this person) and she now tells me that she did have it. Guess thats how things go, I put myself at risk.

Anyhow my problem is, I was with her 5 months ago......and since breaking up with her, I have had sex with two girls since this. One of them the condom broke, the other......Im ashamed to say we didnt use anything as she was a friend. I know, stupid reason.
My question being - could I have passed it on to these two women if my first outbreak has only come out now (5 months later)?

If I got a blood test done now, and that came out negative, would that mean I contracted herpes from a more recent exposure? (as these two girls were in the past month). Im am really worried as one of these girls is a friend and Im not sure if I should tell her I have put her at risk ? Is it possible?

Thanks

[gracefromHHP]

Even the best blood tests we have now for herpes still miss 1 out of every 10 hsv1 infections.  At this point you might never figure out if it was really a cold sore you had or something else.

Broken skin around the anus can be from many things. The only way to know if they are due to herpes is to get them cultured as soon as they appear.  

grace

[Justin43]

Well thats what I thought too, however it never picked it up in my IgG bloodtest. Just wondering why it wouldnt have? Doesnt seem to make sense.

By the way Grace, are razor like cuts (kind of like broken skin) around the anus area (on the red skin part) another symptom of herpes?

Thanks

[slacker101]

Now that's a silly question. Of course you would!! Herpes pretty much is forever.

[Justin43]

Hi Grace -

If you had a coldsore as a child, (I had one around the age of 10, but only had the one outbreak) What is the likelyhood that the bloodtest would pick this type I herpes up as 25 year old adult?

Would the test still be able to pick it up 15 years later?

[gracefromHHP]

Yes you can transmit the virus before you've ever had an obvious ob.

grace

[Justin43]

Slacker101 - The 1st girl was 7 weeks before outbreak, the 2nd girl 5 weeks before outbreak. These girls both had boyfriends for long term (5+ yrs) before me, which is why I dont think they would of had it. I was pretty rundown around the time of the outbreak though, would this make a difference? I had a knee surgery done.

Grace- yes you are right, I guess I wanted to just be sure I was contagious at the time before I go ahead and gave them a scare, because I know how nuts its made me.  I wasnt sure if I could pass it on if I hadnt had my inital outbreak yet. By geeez this is a tricky virus. No black and white's only grey's.

Thanks Capesun99, Oxygen Therapy?

[capesun99]

if the virus was shedding even without any visible symtoms, you can transfer it at that time.  you really never know when it is shedding.  

get all the oxygen in your blood you can. research oxygen therapy

[gracefromHHP]

I think you should step up and talk to both of these gals you've been with in the last month or so. Let them know that you've been diagnosed with genital herpes and you have no idea how long you've had it. That way they know that they need to get themselves tested to find out what their own status is.  Wouldn't you want someone to do the same for you?

grace

[slacker101]

This sounds like an initial outbreak which would be very weird to get 5 months after infection. What was the time frame from the outbreak to the sexual encounter before it? I don't buy it's from the first woman.

[Justin43]

Thanks for your quick reply, I was with them both in the same month, but the outbreak came out 5 weeks after the second girl (my friend).

My lesions where very white blisters in circles, which then broke and healed. I had a fever, headaches, backpain, leg pain, the works.

So anyways,  if I did get this from my girlfriend 5 months ago, could these two girls possibly have been put at risk?  Or am I only really contagious starting from my first outbreak?

[slacker101]

What were your herpes symptoms and what did your lesions loook like? You might have caught it from the recent exposures. It's entirely possible to get a first outbreak 5 months later but I am going with you probably got it from one of your more recent exposures. If you were with someone within 2 to 20 days of seeing the lesions, I would say one of them are the culprit.