Great Ora!!!l Herpes or Impetiigo? Here is my story!

[cantthinkstraight]

I'll make this quick.

Profile: Male 40. Positive for HSV1 - never had an outbreak.

October of 2006, I received great unprotected oral from a girl that showed signs of oral herpes, sore on her upper lip(already custed over). I didn't think to much about it, but later I freaked out and went crazy thinking I might have acquired gential herpes. We went to one doctor he did a visual inspection, no blood test and determined it was herpes type 1. 3 weeks later we went to a local clinic and got our blood drawn to check for herpes using the herpesselect antibodies test.

She was negative for herpes 1 & 2.

I was positive for HSV1, negative for HSV2.

Was her sores impetigo? Is the herpesselect accurate?

Since then I been having tiny bumps on my penis glan, no redness, oozing, no crust, no pain.  

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HSVKitty]

Although this is terribly old,  I have to add grace, that he had visible lesions on his genitalia and THEN tested for HSV1.  (I am adding this as the original info was sketchy and anyone new reading needs to know that)

There is little difference from having HSV1 genitally to oral, other than you can no longer call it a cold sore... (Gotta love that conundrum!)  

Also to the author's question, a visual inspection is not at all accurate..  he should at least tried to do a culture from a blister.  (although the virus may not remain viable for long enough to get an accurate reading)

To anyone reading, after about 6 months if you get retested, you can do an antibody test.  (it can take that long to fully develop them for some)   I recommend an IgG type specific, which tells which virus you may have acquired.   If you still test positive for HSV1 it is actually likely you had it genitally.   HSV1 symptoms on the genitals are usually milder, but you should still inform others and use caution and protection.

Here is the most important info for you.  The HSV virus can remain latent (sleeping in their respective Ganglia) in the body for years or even decades, so it is possible to not have symptoms for years and suddenly breakout.  (stress, surgery, tragedies, divorce, lack of sleep and even more vigorous sex are triggers)

[gracefromHHP]

Unfortunately even the best blood tests still miss 1 out of every 10 hsv1 infections :(  Signs of a healing cold sore would lead you to believe that she was one of those 10. If the lesions were crusted - chances are good that she was no longer shedding the virus anyways if this was just a recurrence of her symptoms.

statistically your hsv1 is oral. Even though over 60% of adults in the US have hsv1 orally - only 20-40% of them ever have noticeable cold sores to know that they are infected.  You haven't really had any genital symptoms that would be suggestive of hsv1 genitally so it's a pretty safe bet that your hsv1 is oral.  

grace