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Chlamydia and hiv fine but what abt herpes and bells palsy
Dear Dr HHH
Im a 31 yeqr old male.
I posted a question just over a month ago after I had protected sex with a woman and tested positive for chlamydia. As you noted there may have been an unidentified condom failure.
My concern was HIV risk. And as you confirmed very low risk and I also had a 4th generation test done after 4 weeks which was negative.
My concern is the following - I got Bells Palsy 3 weeks ago. It is healing well and progress is very good. However i have read that the Herpes Simplex virus can cause Bells.
So now I am very concerned that i may have picked up chlamydia and herpes.
I have not noticed any blisters. I do get jock itch sometimes on inner thighs both sides and have had the odd pimple like where a hair is on penis shaft but it goes away in a few days.
I am more concerned because they say symptoms of herpes may not show at all and then also because it may cause Bells. I have also read that a large % of people have hsv1 without knowing it that can be a cause.
I have to note that i was extremely stressed during this time before i got the hiv result. I was depressed and my system run down.
What do you think the chances are of protected sex and getting herpes and then resulting in Bells? Thank you very much.
Im a 31 yeqr old male.
I posted a question just over a month ago after I had protected sex with a woman and tested positive for chlamydia. As you noted there may have been an unidentified condom failure.
My concern was HIV risk. And as you confirmed very low risk and I also had a 4th generation test done after 4 weeks which was negative.
My concern is the following - I got Bells Palsy 3 weeks ago. It is healing well and progress is very good. However i have read that the Herpes Simplex virus can cause Bells.
So now I am very concerned that i may have picked up chlamydia and herpes.
I have not noticed any blisters. I do get jock itch sometimes on inner thighs both sides and have had the odd pimple like where a hair is on penis shaft but it goes away in a few days.
I am more concerned because they say symptoms of herpes may not show at all and then also because it may cause Bells. I have also read that a large % of people have hsv1 without knowing it that can be a cause.
I have to note that i was extremely stressed during this time before i got the hiv result. I was depressed and my system run down.
What do you think the chances are of protected sex and getting herpes and then resulting in Bells? Thank you very much.
A related discussion, Bell's palsy was started.
Thank you Doctor!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
My advice on testing is that you should seriously consider what you would do with the results before you test. First, for persons in your situations falsely positive tests are not all that uncommon. Second, unless you have tested in the past, a positive test would not AT ALL mean that you had become infected at the exposure you are so focused on. Statistically it is more likely than not that you already have HSV-1 and that you acquired it during childhood. There is also a modest chance that you could have gotten HSV-2 in the past and not known it (remember about 8% - 1 in 12, American adults with a single lifetime sex partner has HSV-2).
Personally, given your tendency to worry, my advice would be not to test. If you feel you must, then now is as good a time as any. EWH
Personally, given your tendency to worry, my advice would be not to test. If you feel you must, then now is as good a time as any. EWH
Thank you Dr Hook.
I definately feel much better from the response.
I have also read up on some previous answers where you have noted a 1 in 1000 transmission rate with unprotected sex.
One final question. Would an HSV test be worth anyting if done before the 3 months period - I am moving back with someone after we were seperated and by then 3 months would not have passed. It will be about 2 months and 3 weeks.
I do realise you say not to worry and that is what im going with, but a test would put my mind 1000% at ease.
Many thanks for the great work that you gentlemen are doing here!!
I definately feel much better from the response.
I have also read up on some previous answers where you have noted a 1 in 1000 transmission rate with unprotected sex.
One final question. Would an HSV test be worth anyting if done before the 3 months period - I am moving back with someone after we were seperated and by then 3 months would not have passed. It will be about 2 months and 3 weeks.
I do realise you say not to worry and that is what im going with, but a test would put my mind 1000% at ease.
Many thanks for the great work that you gentlemen are doing here!!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome back to the Forum. As you probably know, Dr. Handsfield and I share the forum. You got me this time. FYI, the reason we share the forum is because we have worked together for nearly 30 years and while our verbiage styles vary, we have never disagreed on management strategies or advice to clients. I did review your earlier interaction with Dr. Handsfield and note that you think you got your chlamydia through either a failed condom or hand to genital contact an Dr. Handsfield does not. As you might suspect, I tend to agree with Dr. Handsfield.
Bell's palsy is a relatively common idiopathic problem which has been associated with many, many causes even though in most cases the cause is not clear. Some medical problems known to cause Bell's Palsy symptoms include Lyme Disease, brain tumors, and vascular disease. Among infectious causes several viruses in the herpes virus family have been shown to be associated with Bells palsy- these include infections with varicella zoster virus (the chicken pox virus), Epstein Barr virus (one of the viruses that commonly causes mono) an herpes simplex virus 1, the virus that causes cold sores. The problem with consideration of each of these viruses as a cause of Bell's palsy is that each of these infections is very common, making it hard to determine whether evidence of these infections in persons with Bell's palsy is merely a coincidental occurrence of a common problem in persons with BP or the cause. What is clear however, it that if BP is caused by them, that it is a manifestation of a previously existing infection, not a recently acquire infection an that treatment aimed at the virus has no effect on the resolution of the palsy.
As far as your risk of HSV is concerned, there is simply no reason to worry that you got HSV from your encounter describe back in May. Like for the other STDs, condoms are highly effective prevention and HSV is not spread through masturbation. It would not surprise me if you had blood test evidence of HSV-1 since over 60% of adults do, however that would certainly not be an indication that you had recently acquired it or that it caused your Bell's. Finally and most importantly, medical studies have clearly shown that antimicrobial therapy of chronic viral infections, including HSV do not change the course of Bell’s palsy.
My impression- your Bell's Palsy is unrelated to the encounter you originally posted about and is a coincidence. I would not worry about it. EWH
Bell's palsy is a relatively common idiopathic problem which has been associated with many, many causes even though in most cases the cause is not clear. Some medical problems known to cause Bell's Palsy symptoms include Lyme Disease, brain tumors, and vascular disease. Among infectious causes several viruses in the herpes virus family have been shown to be associated with Bells palsy- these include infections with varicella zoster virus (the chicken pox virus), Epstein Barr virus (one of the viruses that commonly causes mono) an herpes simplex virus 1, the virus that causes cold sores. The problem with consideration of each of these viruses as a cause of Bell's palsy is that each of these infections is very common, making it hard to determine whether evidence of these infections in persons with Bell's palsy is merely a coincidental occurrence of a common problem in persons with BP or the cause. What is clear however, it that if BP is caused by them, that it is a manifestation of a previously existing infection, not a recently acquire infection an that treatment aimed at the virus has no effect on the resolution of the palsy.
As far as your risk of HSV is concerned, there is simply no reason to worry that you got HSV from your encounter describe back in May. Like for the other STDs, condoms are highly effective prevention and HSV is not spread through masturbation. It would not surprise me if you had blood test evidence of HSV-1 since over 60% of adults do, however that would certainly not be an indication that you had recently acquired it or that it caused your Bell's. Finally and most importantly, medical studies have clearly shown that antimicrobial therapy of chronic viral infections, including HSV do not change the course of Bell’s palsy.
My impression- your Bell's Palsy is unrelated to the encounter you originally posted about and is a coincidence. I would not worry about it. EWH
You are reading content posted in the STDs 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.
