Three years and still no peace

[needitresolved]

To Dr Hansfield please, just because I have asked him questions in the past.

Here is a brief outline of my symptoms, following unprotected sex with a close female friend in May 2005 my only real risk to date (previous to her I had a girlfriend and we were both virgins).

May 2005 - a stinging at the tip of my penis that began about 24-36 hours after the exposure. The pain lasted for around five months and was more or less contstant. It was accompanied by some other strange symptoms that Dr Hansfield said "didn't sound like herpes but I negative blood test would tell me for sure."  

Six months after exposure I had an IgG glycoprotein based bloodtest that came back positive for HSV1 and negative for HSV2.

December  2005: I was masturbating when I noticed an area of light redness on the top of my penis. I didn't see any skin broken, but the next day there was a thin, sort of dotted, pencil line of scabbing. It cleared up over a couple of days  
January 2006: About four weeks later I was masturbating (rather vigourously) when I felt a stab of pain under my thumb. I looked and there was a raw patch of skin where it had been and a very small circular scab formed overnight and took a few days to heal.  

At the time I became worried about Gential HSV1 I returned to the boards and Dr Hansfield said that if I had gential herpes it was highly atypical and "I doubt you do." But if the lesions appeared again I should have them cultured.

July 2008: 2.5 years later, I was again masturbating and the same thing, felt a stab of pain right under my thumb where I was masturbating. Again, when I looked there was some redness and this time I could see when I held the area under a bright light, a tiny, tiny, break in the skin. When I pressed it, it bled a little. It formed a scab about the size of one of those "hair bumps" over the next day or so and was gone fairly shortly.

All three events occured just after I'd been in the ocean, so I wonder if the salt might have increased friction. Also when I masturbate I tend to twist the skin around the shaft, and this is exactly where both the last two lessions appeared (though my thumb was in a different position for each time), that is all three lesions have been in markedly different locations.

I now have a girlfriend of about two years. She has previously been tested and found HSV1+ and HSV2- so I'm not so worried about HSV1. I'm worried that my blood test was a false negative for HSV2.  That's because last year I did get a small paper cut on my lip (the first time I've had something like that), which if it was HSV1 would rule out gential HSV1, wouldn't it?

To be honest, I have a history of being obsessive with this issue. The rational part of my brain says that the atypicalness of the symptoms and the odd timeline (1 month, then 2.5 years), combined with the negative blood test means I shouldn't be worrying about HSV2. But I can't seem to move on. I feel so guilty.

So finally, my question:

Do you think I should be concerned that my blood test was a false negative for HSV2?
If so, what should I do?

[gracefromHHP]

this is not the std experts forum. they do not come here to look at posts at all and answer them. If you want their opinion you need to pay to post on their forum.

grace

[needitresolved]

And I see that you work in the field too! Well, that makes me feel even better.

Thanks again.

[needitresolved]

whoops, I thought I was posting this to the doc. Thanks for whading through my post anyhow Jessi. I've had this issue in my head almost non-stop for the last month, since that last lesion and it's really nice to get an outside opinion.

[auntiejessi]

No I don't think you need to worry about a false negative.

Its possible that you have ghsv1 - it would be rare, but possible.

Its also possible that the vigorous masturbation is causing irritation.  You should use some lube.

I wouldn't worry at all about hsv2.

Aj