Aa
Do I have herpes?
15 days ago I had oral sex with a girl. I also had my hand in her vagina and shortly after I handled my penis. I did not have sex with her. The next day I noticed the roof of my mouth was sore, so I went to my doctor. He told me the redness on the roof of my mouth was not herpes but just a common virus. I started feeling better and about a week ago I started feeling bad again. It was consistent with the symptoms of herpes with the repressed appetite, and I have had some sensitivity around my anus. My stomach has been upset but I dont know if thats from the stress. I have had all these symptoms for a week but know outbreak. I get really freaked out at the thought of herpes so I dont know if it's just me being paranoid or not? My doctor said that it's unlikely for me to get herpes from oral but I forgot I had my hand down there on her and within a minute or two I was handling myself. My urine has been kinda yellow when I'm not fetting alot of fluids as well. My stomach is feeling better now and the anus seems to be getting better. Am I in the clear or could I still end up having an outbreak? Thanks so much for the help
Please look at the date of the post you are posting to, this is from 2008, no one is around anymore from this post. And if you want to post to herpes questions we have a forum dedicated to just herpes. I believe your knowledge would be very good there.
Thanks
Thanks
I hAve unprotected sex for over 20 years and I have never passed it to my partners. Two of them. It is not the end of the world- you will have to abstain for about 12 days....and should be fine. It is like picking up a cold from someone else It does not make you dirty, or unworthy... It happens. You will learn to live with it...millions of people have it. So what?
If you have multiple partners and you're having penetration...best to avoid is a condom. I have had oralgiven to me for years and never passed it to my friends.
If you have multiple partners and you're having penetration...best to avoid is a condom. I have had oralgiven to me for years and never passed it to my friends.
Get tested and then get tested again in 3 months. Herpes can be managed with medications and should not limit your life. However, I highly doubt you have it. You probably have a lot of anxiety. Be aware that you may already have herpes and not have known. It doesn't mean that you got it from this encounter.
Thanks,
When I first started posting, I wasn't quite as aggressive as I may sound now. However, there were already a few other militant posters, whose words helped me get my head around all the nonsense concerning hsv.
I'm not a permanent poster, but from time to time I enjoy saying my piece. I've also had several remarks from others about how they find my posts positive, relevant and helpful.
Good luck to you also,
AJ
When I first started posting, I wasn't quite as aggressive as I may sound now. However, there were already a few other militant posters, whose words helped me get my head around all the nonsense concerning hsv.
I'm not a permanent poster, but from time to time I enjoy saying my piece. I've also had several remarks from others about how they find my posts positive, relevant and helpful.
Good luck to you also,
AJ
Well, if you want to get technical about it, the flu could be considered sexually transmitted since people give that to husbands/wives alot too.
I'm really sorry if it sounds like I am implying that hsv2 is somehow shameful or the person who has it is inferior from someone who has hsv1 or nothing at all. That is really not my intention at all. If I keep answer your posts, we will just keep going back and forth about it and I don't have the time. Good luck with everything.
I'm really sorry if it sounds like I am implying that hsv2 is somehow shameful or the person who has it is inferior from someone who has hsv1 or nothing at all. That is really not my intention at all. If I keep answer your posts, we will just keep going back and forth about it and I don't have the time. Good luck with everything.
Your views concerning the differences between "cold sores" and genital herpes are judgemental. You view genital herpes infection differently than you do other forms of hsv infection because it is sexually transmitted.
It is exactly because this is an STD forum that it is important to bring up issues concening all aspects of hsv infection, - helping people to understand the pointlessness and unfairness of social stigmas. My suject is herpes simplex - I do not need to mention the other herpesviruses to prove my points. Unlike yourself, I have hsv2 - a fact which can only validate my arguments. If you don't have an std yourself, - then why bother coming here in the first place? And why try to advise people on something about which you have no personal experience - apart from what others have told you or what you've read online?
Herpes does not need to be treated. I am living proof of this. So are many of the other hsv2 sufferers I know. Why make generalized statements about something you obviously know so little about?
Who said anything about herpes making anyone a bad person? - Perhaps you did not do this directly, but your first reply to this thread states clearly enough what you think about genital herpes infections in comparison to the "insignificance" of cold sores, as well as the supposed differences between hsv1 and hsv2.
If you were into oral sex, - which I gather you're not (surprise..) and if you had infected a partner with ghsv1, wouldn't that also be sexually transmitted?
AJ
It is exactly because this is an STD forum that it is important to bring up issues concening all aspects of hsv infection, - helping people to understand the pointlessness and unfairness of social stigmas. My suject is herpes simplex - I do not need to mention the other herpesviruses to prove my points. Unlike yourself, I have hsv2 - a fact which can only validate my arguments. If you don't have an std yourself, - then why bother coming here in the first place? And why try to advise people on something about which you have no personal experience - apart from what others have told you or what you've read online?
Herpes does not need to be treated. I am living proof of this. So are many of the other hsv2 sufferers I know. Why make generalized statements about something you obviously know so little about?
Who said anything about herpes making anyone a bad person? - Perhaps you did not do this directly, but your first reply to this thread states clearly enough what you think about genital herpes infections in comparison to the "insignificance" of cold sores, as well as the supposed differences between hsv1 and hsv2.
If you were into oral sex, - which I gather you're not (surprise..) and if you had infected a partner with ghsv1, wouldn't that also be sexually transmitted?
AJ
I don't judge people with herpes as long as they are responsible about having it - ie disclose their status. And for the record, my boyfriend knows I get oral herpes from time to time. I don't think it's a big deal and have never been rejected b/c of it.
The OP was originally concerned about his exposure to herpes, which we both agreed there was little to be concerned about. You went into detail about how normal having herpes is and that most people have it. I disagreed with you based on facts that I have read and from friends who have HVS2. They tell me about their painful outbreaks.
This is also a STD forum so whether or not wrestlers get herpes on their chests is not an issue for this forum, maybe the dermatology forum, but not this one b/c it's not sexually transmitted. And if you want to talk about herpes, I'm surprised you left out chicken pox and shingles, both of the herpes family. However, neither of those are sexually transmitted.
If someone gets an STD, whatever it is, they need to be treated. This is not about judging anyone who gets one. You can get one from sexual abuse or if you're raped so the old idea of people being being promiscuous is not necessarily true. That's really the stigma - that maybe someone is just sleeping around with just anyone they could find. It's not the diseases themselves. As we know, many married people who are faithful, get STD's from a partner who strays. What did they do but sleep with their husband/wife?
So, for the record, having herpes does not make you a bad person. It's inconvenient for anyone to have it. It's inconvenient for me to get a cold sore too. But a person must take care of themselves during their OB and they must be honest with new sexual partners.
The OP was originally concerned about his exposure to herpes, which we both agreed there was little to be concerned about. You went into detail about how normal having herpes is and that most people have it. I disagreed with you based on facts that I have read and from friends who have HVS2. They tell me about their painful outbreaks.
This is also a STD forum so whether or not wrestlers get herpes on their chests is not an issue for this forum, maybe the dermatology forum, but not this one b/c it's not sexually transmitted. And if you want to talk about herpes, I'm surprised you left out chicken pox and shingles, both of the herpes family. However, neither of those are sexually transmitted.
If someone gets an STD, whatever it is, they need to be treated. This is not about judging anyone who gets one. You can get one from sexual abuse or if you're raped so the old idea of people being being promiscuous is not necessarily true. That's really the stigma - that maybe someone is just sleeping around with just anyone they could find. It's not the diseases themselves. As we know, many married people who are faithful, get STD's from a partner who strays. What did they do but sleep with their husband/wife?
So, for the record, having herpes does not make you a bad person. It's inconvenient for anyone to have it. It's inconvenient for me to get a cold sore too. But a person must take care of themselves during their OB and they must be honest with new sexual partners.
Something else to fire your imagination:
Herpes simplex infections are rife amongst professional sportspersons: Wrestlers get it on their chests (herpes gladiatorum) and rugby players get it on their faces, necks and thighs (herpes rugbeiorum).
I like to fantasize about tabloid shock horror stories in which world class players are evicted from their team because they get cold sores.
But, of course, because it's all about sport - and not sex - it's all swept under the turf and kept very hush-hush. There's no stigmatizing on the pitch. Noone gets dropped from the team because they have hsv.
Genital herpes is seen as being shameful and shocking because it is transmitted during sex.
Double standards.
Herpes simplex infections are rife amongst professional sportspersons: Wrestlers get it on their chests (herpes gladiatorum) and rugby players get it on their faces, necks and thighs (herpes rugbeiorum).
I like to fantasize about tabloid shock horror stories in which world class players are evicted from their team because they get cold sores.
But, of course, because it's all about sport - and not sex - it's all swept under the turf and kept very hush-hush. There's no stigmatizing on the pitch. Noone gets dropped from the team because they have hsv.
Genital herpes is seen as being shameful and shocking because it is transmitted during sex.
Double standards.
One last comment concerning your final, cheery paragraph about the increased risk of more stds via herpes infection. For ignorant souls, who go around having sex when they have an insignificant itch, perhaps your claims are valid. However, for a responsible person who knows how to deal with outbreaks, these risks are quasi-inexistant.
Who on earth would be having sex during an outbreak anyway?
If hsv2 is a "pathway to more horrors", then isn't having oral hsv1 identical? Oh, and genital hsv1 may recurr less frequently than hsv2, but outbreaks may be equally, or more painful depending on the person. My previous hsv1 infection means I get very few hsv2 obs, and it's also likely that I shed less than someone who has hsv2 only. As I said before, there's no point in wishing I didn't have herpes. In fact, I think I'm pretty lucky.
Who on earth would be having sex during an outbreak anyway?
If hsv2 is a "pathway to more horrors", then isn't having oral hsv1 identical? Oh, and genital hsv1 may recurr less frequently than hsv2, but outbreaks may be equally, or more painful depending on the person. My previous hsv1 infection means I get very few hsv2 obs, and it's also likely that I shed less than someone who has hsv2 only. As I said before, there's no point in wishing I didn't have herpes. In fact, I think I'm pretty lucky.
Yes, herpes simplex sheds. HSV1 sheds from saliva and from the mucous membranes of the buccal cavity, exactly in the same way that hsv2 sheds from mucous membranes of the genitals. Recent research suggests that most people develop oral herpes during their teens - and not during chilhood, as was previously believed. Oral herpes may also be transmitted when there are no clinical symtpoms, just like genital herpes. The decrease in childhood oral herpes infections means that more adults are at risk from being infected genitally once they are sexually active.
I have both hsv1 and hsv2. The main difference is the way they are perceived by people like you who believe that having the one is perfectly acceptable, whereas having the other is not. Apart from this, both hsv1 and hsv2 are both cold sore infections. Contrary to your claims, they are very similar.
There is no point in wishing I did not have herpes. The fact that I was already infected with hsv1 makes my hsv2 infection trivial. Googling hsv will bring up all sorts of scary webpages which claim that there "may be a link" between herpes and cancer. This has yet to be proven. Such websites are, for the most part, owned and/or sponsored by BigPharma companies who want to shame people like me into taking unnecessary daily medication, and who want to convince people like you that the disease is "highly contagious" and, in some way, different from the oral variety. It is not.
So-called clinical studies on shedding are dubious, as are the test results we often see posted on this board. How come the drug companies spend more money on marketing their lucrative products than on serious research with regard to shedding? In my opinion - and this has already been discussed at length in several earlier posts - the main reason for the increase in genital herpes infections is that 80% of people do not know (or do not want to know) that they are infected. How many people are going around having sex thinking that their itch has nothing to do with herpes? And how many more people - those who do not bother to spend part of their week on boards like this - are totally unconcerned about their insignificant herpes infection?
Stupid, stigmatising laws concerning the spread of hsv are, in any case, extremely difficult to implement. The "victim" would have to prove that he/she did not have herpes in the first place (60 - 80% of people have hsv antibodies - this is most people - I did not say "everyone" - please read my words carefully before you change them to suit you own ends). Most cases would be thrown out before even reaching court. Considering the statistics, it's quite likely that the magistrate him/herself already has herpes. What it comes down to is government manipulation and money.
I have both hsv1 and hsv2. The main difference is the way they are perceived by people like you who believe that having the one is perfectly acceptable, whereas having the other is not. Apart from this, both hsv1 and hsv2 are both cold sore infections. Contrary to your claims, they are very similar.
There is no point in wishing I did not have herpes. The fact that I was already infected with hsv1 makes my hsv2 infection trivial. Googling hsv will bring up all sorts of scary webpages which claim that there "may be a link" between herpes and cancer. This has yet to be proven. Such websites are, for the most part, owned and/or sponsored by BigPharma companies who want to shame people like me into taking unnecessary daily medication, and who want to convince people like you that the disease is "highly contagious" and, in some way, different from the oral variety. It is not.
So-called clinical studies on shedding are dubious, as are the test results we often see posted on this board. How come the drug companies spend more money on marketing their lucrative products than on serious research with regard to shedding? In my opinion - and this has already been discussed at length in several earlier posts - the main reason for the increase in genital herpes infections is that 80% of people do not know (or do not want to know) that they are infected. How many people are going around having sex thinking that their itch has nothing to do with herpes? And how many more people - those who do not bother to spend part of their week on boards like this - are totally unconcerned about their insignificant herpes infection?
Stupid, stigmatising laws concerning the spread of hsv are, in any case, extremely difficult to implement. The "victim" would have to prove that he/she did not have herpes in the first place (60 - 80% of people have hsv antibodies - this is most people - I did not say "everyone" - please read my words carefully before you change them to suit you own ends). Most cases would be thrown out before even reaching court. Considering the statistics, it's quite likely that the magistrate him/herself already has herpes. What it comes down to is government manipulation and money.
You will only get an outbreak if you have herpes which there is a very good chance you don't. Your symptons don't sound like herpes so what you had was not herpes IMO. Why don't you get tested for herpes 1 & 2? That way you will know for sure. It can never hurt to find out. I have HSV1 but negative for HSV2. I got HSV1 as a child (not sexually). I have never had an outbreak genitally but I don't have oral sex either. Not b/c of herpes, just don't like it.
so if all my symptoms have cleared up and I havent had an outbreak yet I still might get one? My urine is bright yellow when I'm not getting tons of fluids. Thanks
I hardly think that everyone has herpes in some form or another. Yes, HSV1 is the most common type because it is spread orally but HSV1 - usually as children. Yes, it can be spread genitally through oral sex but that is a more recent development due to the increase in oral sex. Oral herpes is visible to the naked eye. Genital herpes can be harder for someone to detect since it hides in the vagina. There is also shedding that takes place within the walls of the vagina or on the penis whereby a person who looks fine is actually transmitting the disease. I know several people who got herpes from people that did not tell them they had it. It's is wrong and in some states, a crime to transmit herpes knowingly.
There are big differences between HSV1 and HSV2. Having HSV1 genitally will mean less outbreaks as well as less pain. I have even read studies where HSV2 actually increases your chances for gynocological cancers. Probably b/c pathogens and other viruses now have a better pathway into the body.
It's a fact of life that people are ignorant abt this disease yet they do need to be able to make a choice abt whether or not to have sex with someone who has genital herpes.
HSV2 can be very painful. I have one friend who gets outbreaks about once every 2 months. It hurts to pee and it's very painful for her since it even hurts to sit down. Another lady gets it 4 X's a year, same thing. Genital herpes is not just a cold sore. It's painful and will increase the risk of other STD's if a person with herpes is having sex with someone else who has a disease. The herpes+ person is more likely to get another STD b/c the open sore is a direct pathway into the body. It is not a good thing to have herpes. I'm sure if given a choice, you would rather not have it.
There are big differences between HSV1 and HSV2. Having HSV1 genitally will mean less outbreaks as well as less pain. I have even read studies where HSV2 actually increases your chances for gynocological cancers. Probably b/c pathogens and other viruses now have a better pathway into the body.
It's a fact of life that people are ignorant abt this disease yet they do need to be able to make a choice abt whether or not to have sex with someone who has genital herpes.
HSV2 can be very painful. I have one friend who gets outbreaks about once every 2 months. It hurts to pee and it's very painful for her since it even hurts to sit down. Another lady gets it 4 X's a year, same thing. Genital herpes is not just a cold sore. It's painful and will increase the risk of other STD's if a person with herpes is having sex with someone else who has a disease. The herpes+ person is more likely to get another STD b/c the open sore is a direct pathway into the body. It is not a good thing to have herpes. I'm sure if given a choice, you would rather not have it.
You are wrong: most people do have herpes in some from or another. Indeed, exposure to hsv1 is likely to be universal - it is the person's dna structure, as well as their immune system's response - which will determine whether or not infection and production of antibodies will take place.
It is estimated that by the year 2020, 50% of American women will be hsv2+.
It is true that for a minority of people, symptoms will be severe, recurrant and unpleasant. For the gross majority of people, however, this is not the case. Most people with herpes are unaware that they are, in fact, infected. As you rightly say, the disease is easy to control for those who suffer from clinical symptoms.
I have had herpes for 40 years, and I can assure you that, for most people, it is not serious. On the contrary, hsv has been shown to benefit the organism by way of its ability to fight off other ailments, including food poisoning and certain forms of cancer.
As for people who do not tell their partners about having genital herpes: Do people with oral herpes think to tell their partners that they had a cold sore 20 years ago? It is only a cold sore, for goodness' sake!
It is estimated that by the year 2020, 50% of American women will be hsv2+.
It is true that for a minority of people, symptoms will be severe, recurrant and unpleasant. For the gross majority of people, however, this is not the case. Most people with herpes are unaware that they are, in fact, infected. As you rightly say, the disease is easy to control for those who suffer from clinical symptoms.
I have had herpes for 40 years, and I can assure you that, for most people, it is not serious. On the contrary, hsv has been shown to benefit the organism by way of its ability to fight off other ailments, including food poisoning and certain forms of cancer.
As for people who do not tell their partners about having genital herpes: Do people with oral herpes think to tell their partners that they had a cold sore 20 years ago? It is only a cold sore, for goodness' sake!
i knew nothing regarding herpes until i got a STD test a few weeks back. then my result was reactive antibody to HSV-1, but non-reactive to HSV-2. my doc says its pretty common. however, i have not really noticed any cold sores of any kind until this. so my question is, when u do have cold sores, does it hurt or itch? how long will it be present? i read somewhere that reoccurance happens more frequent if one is immunosupressed? what makes a person immunosupressed?
AJ - you have to admit that nobody wants to get genital herpes if they can help it. It's very painful and during an outbreak will make you more susceptible to other diseases like HIV. It's very serious and it's not normal to have herpes. With common sense this disease can be controlled and the good thing is that it doesn't have to be transmitted to a partner. My problem with herpes is that there are some ppl with it that do not want to tell sexual partners b/c they are afraid they would be turned down for sex. I know someone who is like this - she has sex & is afraid of rejection.
David - herpes symptoms could show up as quickly as within a week or longer depending on your immune system. I think you can get an accurate blood test after 3 months. From what you stated though, your chances of getting herpes from this encounter is pretty slim. Use condoms and safe sex practices in the future.
David - herpes symptoms could show up as quickly as within a week or longer depending on your immune system. I think you can get an accurate blood test after 3 months. From what you stated though, your chances of getting herpes from this encounter is pretty slim. Use condoms and safe sex practices in the future.
Thanks for your comment. I dont mean to be insulting with these questions but this is all very new to me and I am very uninformed. If I did have genital herpes how soon would it show up after getting these symptoms? Try to remember Ijust want to know so that I can be sexually responsible to myself as well as others. Thank you for your time!
Is your doctor unaware that herpes is a very common virus?
What is it about herpes that makes you freak out? Most people have hsv antibodies, although only a small fraction will ever suffer symptoms.
I have herpes. I pity people like you who live in fear. For most of us, it's really no big deal, - only an occasional inconvenience.
If you're that scared, then you should refrain from any kind of sexual contact. It's not worth it.
Stop reading the online hype and get on with your life. Having herpes is normal; it won't kill you, nor give you cancer, nor put you in a wheelchair, nor reduce the chances of you meeting someone worthwhile. Your chances of having been infected are, in my opinion, close to zero. And in any case, you may well already have hsv antibodies: shock! horror!
I really am sick of reading posts like this which make herpes look like the sexual plague of our times. It's not. It's been around as long as people have been having sex.
Grow up and get real. A cold sore is a cold sore.
AJ
What is it about herpes that makes you freak out? Most people have hsv antibodies, although only a small fraction will ever suffer symptoms.
I have herpes. I pity people like you who live in fear. For most of us, it's really no big deal, - only an occasional inconvenience.
If you're that scared, then you should refrain from any kind of sexual contact. It's not worth it.
Stop reading the online hype and get on with your life. Having herpes is normal; it won't kill you, nor give you cancer, nor put you in a wheelchair, nor reduce the chances of you meeting someone worthwhile. Your chances of having been infected are, in my opinion, close to zero. And in any case, you may well already have hsv antibodies: shock! horror!
I really am sick of reading posts like this which make herpes look like the sexual plague of our times. It's not. It's been around as long as people have been having sex.
Grow up and get real. A cold sore is a cold sore.
AJ
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the STDs / STIs 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.
