Aa
Concerned.. Perhaps overly so..?
Hello.. Thank you in advance for your response Dr.
I am 33. I have nvr had an std. I just left a 9 yr relationship. tested - for evrything, neither partner strayed. I have had a total of 3 sexual partners. This is a very uncomfortable situation for me..
About 2 months ago I met a girl. She has had 5 partners. However she has tested + for hpv in the past. It may have since cleared as she just had a negative pap & its been about 10 months since her posi. She nvr had warts & did have a low grade dysplasia since resolved) I understand that I may have exposed myself to this. I am weighing if I want to pursue this with her as I have since decided I dont think I can. She is a great girl but Ive always prided myself in being selective and carrying around infection potentially for yrs may be too much.
We started having sex 1.5 wks ago. We had unprotected sex 1x for a few minutes. This past wkend we had PROTECTED sex 3 times. I also received and gave (briefly) unprot oral. The following day I began and for three days now have had a dull headache and somewhat frequent urination. I spoke to (did not see) a dr contact of mine and he told me i was likely just stressing out and giving myself a headache. In the gym I have felt weaker and listless. I DO NOT have any abnormal marks on my genitals. Nor discharge although I have broken out in a bit of face acne (stress). A week ago she tested - for HIV and she is awaiting results for HSV2, gono etc..
I am seeing her tomorrow but wont be having ANY further sexual contact with her until these tests come through - and I work through all of this
My questions are as follows..
1. What was my exposure risk to HPV? Should I assume that if she had it, i now do as well? Would getting vaccinated help me?
2. What was my chance of exposure to HSV2? She asserts to have never had any sign of outbreak. The odds?
3. Are my non-genital symptoms feasibly a sign of HSV2? anything else?
Im really stressed. Ty Dr...
I am 33. I have nvr had an std. I just left a 9 yr relationship. tested - for evrything, neither partner strayed. I have had a total of 3 sexual partners. This is a very uncomfortable situation for me..
About 2 months ago I met a girl. She has had 5 partners. However she has tested + for hpv in the past. It may have since cleared as she just had a negative pap & its been about 10 months since her posi. She nvr had warts & did have a low grade dysplasia since resolved) I understand that I may have exposed myself to this. I am weighing if I want to pursue this with her as I have since decided I dont think I can. She is a great girl but Ive always prided myself in being selective and carrying around infection potentially for yrs may be too much.
We started having sex 1.5 wks ago. We had unprotected sex 1x for a few minutes. This past wkend we had PROTECTED sex 3 times. I also received and gave (briefly) unprot oral. The following day I began and for three days now have had a dull headache and somewhat frequent urination. I spoke to (did not see) a dr contact of mine and he told me i was likely just stressing out and giving myself a headache. In the gym I have felt weaker and listless. I DO NOT have any abnormal marks on my genitals. Nor discharge although I have broken out in a bit of face acne (stress). A week ago she tested - for HIV and she is awaiting results for HSV2, gono etc..
I am seeing her tomorrow but wont be having ANY further sexual contact with her until these tests come through - and I work through all of this
My questions are as follows..
1. What was my exposure risk to HPV? Should I assume that if she had it, i now do as well? Would getting vaccinated help me?
2. What was my chance of exposure to HSV2? She asserts to have never had any sign of outbreak. The odds?
3. Are my non-genital symptoms feasibly a sign of HSV2? anything else?
Im really stressed. Ty Dr...
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum.
Consistent condom use would have been a good idea for this new partnership, as it is for all relationships until and unless committed and expected to be mutually monogamous. That said, you sound like a responsible sort of person with respect to sexuality and STD protection, and your partner does as well; 5 lifetime partners is pretty low in terms of STD risk. Anyway, the number of partners is less important than the nature of those relationships.
Your symptoms do not sound like those of any STD. They are quite typical, however, for the physical manifestation of anxiety. To the specific questions:
1) Most HPV infections clear up within a year, and with a negative pap since the original abnormal one, probably she isn't still infected. But there are no guarantees; she could still be infected. But even if she were known to still have HPV, it can be ignored. Your concern about HPV ("carrying around infection potentially for yrs may be too much") seems way overblown. With 3 past sex partners, probably you have been infected already, perhaps more than once. Another HPV infection somewhere along the line will make no important difference in your health or that of future sex partners. Genital HPV as a normal and expected consequence of human sexuality -- not desirable, but unavoidable and natural. Having genital HPV from time to time is similar to having staph and strep on your skin, E. coli and yeasts in your intestine, and thousands of other microorgansims that harbor every nook and cranny of your body.
HPV vaccination is not currently recommended beyond age 26; the risk is generally low and by that age most people have already been infected with some if not all the HPV strains covered by the vaccine. If you really wanted to spend the money, vaccination would do no harm. But I do not recommend it and at a personal level I would not do it if I were in your shoes.
2) In the US, the statistical probabiliy that any particular adult age 25-30 has HSV-2 is around 10-15%; with only 5 lifetime partners, probably only a 5% chance. If infected, in the absence of an apparent outbreak, the chance of transmission is once for every several hundred to 1,000 unprotected vaginal sex exposures. So it would be extremely surprising if you have caught HSV-2.
3) Systemic symptoms like fever, headache and muscle aches can accompany initial HSV infections, but not by themselves -- only in the presence of obvious, painful skin lesions. Your symptoms don't even hint at HSV. I already speculated about the most likely cause.
To be honest, I don't understand why you are so stressed. You are at low STD risk and almost certainly are not now infected. These concerns are especially inappropriate if you otherwise see long term promise in the relationship. Fear of HSV or HPV never should be permitted to get in the way of love, romance, and commitment. This isn't a relationship counseling service, but I cannot help but say that if you cannot shake your fears or if you're fairly certain she is not "the one", it probably would be kinder to your partner (and yourself) to break it off sooner rather than later. But be aware: if you're going to demand STD purity in a partner, especially proof that someone doesn't have HPV, you'd best plan on lifelong celibacy.
Regards-- HHH, MD
Consistent condom use would have been a good idea for this new partnership, as it is for all relationships until and unless committed and expected to be mutually monogamous. That said, you sound like a responsible sort of person with respect to sexuality and STD protection, and your partner does as well; 5 lifetime partners is pretty low in terms of STD risk. Anyway, the number of partners is less important than the nature of those relationships.
Your symptoms do not sound like those of any STD. They are quite typical, however, for the physical manifestation of anxiety. To the specific questions:
1) Most HPV infections clear up within a year, and with a negative pap since the original abnormal one, probably she isn't still infected. But there are no guarantees; she could still be infected. But even if she were known to still have HPV, it can be ignored. Your concern about HPV ("carrying around infection potentially for yrs may be too much") seems way overblown. With 3 past sex partners, probably you have been infected already, perhaps more than once. Another HPV infection somewhere along the line will make no important difference in your health or that of future sex partners. Genital HPV as a normal and expected consequence of human sexuality -- not desirable, but unavoidable and natural. Having genital HPV from time to time is similar to having staph and strep on your skin, E. coli and yeasts in your intestine, and thousands of other microorgansims that harbor every nook and cranny of your body.
HPV vaccination is not currently recommended beyond age 26; the risk is generally low and by that age most people have already been infected with some if not all the HPV strains covered by the vaccine. If you really wanted to spend the money, vaccination would do no harm. But I do not recommend it and at a personal level I would not do it if I were in your shoes.
2) In the US, the statistical probabiliy that any particular adult age 25-30 has HSV-2 is around 10-15%; with only 5 lifetime partners, probably only a 5% chance. If infected, in the absence of an apparent outbreak, the chance of transmission is once for every several hundred to 1,000 unprotected vaginal sex exposures. So it would be extremely surprising if you have caught HSV-2.
3) Systemic symptoms like fever, headache and muscle aches can accompany initial HSV infections, but not by themselves -- only in the presence of obvious, painful skin lesions. Your symptoms don't even hint at HSV. I already speculated about the most likely cause.
To be honest, I don't understand why you are so stressed. You are at low STD risk and almost certainly are not now infected. These concerns are especially inappropriate if you otherwise see long term promise in the relationship. Fear of HSV or HPV never should be permitted to get in the way of love, romance, and commitment. This isn't a relationship counseling service, but I cannot help but say that if you cannot shake your fears or if you're fairly certain she is not "the one", it probably would be kinder to your partner (and yourself) to break it off sooner rather than later. But be aware: if you're going to demand STD purity in a partner, especially proof that someone doesn't have HPV, you'd best plan on lifelong celibacy.
Regards-- HHH, MD
In case you were wondering, the new girl found out today she is negative for everything.. I can feel comfortable pursuing things with her which comes as a major relief as she is quite special..
Thanks again...
Thanks again...
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Indeed, media attention and educational approaches in the 1980s created some misunderstandings about how flooded society is with STDs and HIV.
All women have a certain amount of normal discharge from the vagina, quite variable in amount with the menstrual cycle and from one woman to another. It is impossible to judge whether this was anything abnormal in your partner -- but probably not. Most women defer sex is they have discharge or other symptoms that suggest infection. And discharge alone rarely suggests herpes.
Certainly physical symptoms are the norm in anxiety, depression, and other emotional disorder. Perspectives on exact causes and how it all works differ among experts -- and I'm not an expert on it. My view is that anxiety etc don't really cause symptoms, but they certainly can magnify various body sensations to greater awareness, often to the point of pain, discomfort, etc. I don't know that this really explains your symptoms; that's up to a personal health care provider.
All women have a certain amount of normal discharge from the vagina, quite variable in amount with the menstrual cycle and from one woman to another. It is impossible to judge whether this was anything abnormal in your partner -- but probably not. Most women defer sex is they have discharge or other symptoms that suggest infection. And discharge alone rarely suggests herpes.
Certainly physical symptoms are the norm in anxiety, depression, and other emotional disorder. Perspectives on exact causes and how it all works differ among experts -- and I'm not an expert on it. My view is that anxiety etc don't really cause symptoms, but they certainly can magnify various body sensations to greater awareness, often to the point of pain, discomfort, etc. I don't know that this really explains your symptoms; that's up to a personal health care provider.
Wow.. So I am basically a complete paranoid when it comes to stds.. This is quite comforting and perhaps a bit embarassing. :-/ I grew up in the 80s and I guess that colored my thinking..
A quick couple follow ups if you dont mind sir.
1. I forgot to mention that at one point I noticed there was some sort of white discharge which emitted from her on me. In the absence of apparent blisters is this common for women in general or in any way indicative of anything? I saw nothing external anyway.. Is a white discharge common (I think she was ovulating at the time she had said) for women in general regardless of std status?
2. Just out of curiousity, I am very interested in learning more about anxiety response to this sort of thing. Is it really that easy for anxiety to trigger physical symptoms in people? This is fascinating to me. For me to be urinating often and feeling a little "tingly down there" is pretty shocking without medical cause. Can you direct me to some resources/articles/information online about this phenomenon? I am quite curious to learn more...
Your posts really give me the impression that stds are a lot less scary then they've always seemed to me. I really appreciate that a great deal. The work you do really matters and I, for one, genuinely thank you for devoting your professional life to helping others break myths and learn smarter behaviors..
A quick couple follow ups if you dont mind sir.
1. I forgot to mention that at one point I noticed there was some sort of white discharge which emitted from her on me. In the absence of apparent blisters is this common for women in general or in any way indicative of anything? I saw nothing external anyway.. Is a white discharge common (I think she was ovulating at the time she had said) for women in general regardless of std status?
2. Just out of curiousity, I am very interested in learning more about anxiety response to this sort of thing. Is it really that easy for anxiety to trigger physical symptoms in people? This is fascinating to me. For me to be urinating often and feeling a little "tingly down there" is pretty shocking without medical cause. Can you direct me to some resources/articles/information online about this phenomenon? I am quite curious to learn more...
Your posts really give me the impression that stds are a lot less scary then they've always seemed to me. I really appreciate that a great deal. The work you do really matters and I, for one, genuinely thank you for devoting your professional life to helping others break myths and learn smarter behaviors..
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.
