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Confused about Herpes
Doctor,
About 15 months ago I had oral sex with someone who I later realized got frequent cold sores. At the time I never had any signs or symptoms of anything. About 3 months ago I had unprotected sex with a guy that swears he is clean, but it doesn't seem like he even knows exactly what he was tested for. About three weeks ago I started to have extreme vaginal soreness, stinging and burning. I went to the doctor and she did a herpes culture with a swab when she had the speculum in. I didn't have any sores or lesions. It came back negative. After reading on this forum, I wonder if that culture is considered to be accurate???? From what I have read there needs to be open sores etc to culture for herpes.
The doctor told me I had a yeast infection, she didn't culture for that just said thats what it looks like and gave me tetrazole. I was also tested negative for all other vaginal infections, bladder infections and stds. Well two weeks have passed and I still don't feel better. I took a herpeselect test yesterday- 95 days post exposure to unprotected sex and it came back negative to HSV1/2.
Does this sound like herpes to you????? Would my culture have been accurate??? I am a little confused about the accuracy of the Herpes test. How accurate is the blood test???
About 15 months ago I had oral sex with someone who I later realized got frequent cold sores. At the time I never had any signs or symptoms of anything. About 3 months ago I had unprotected sex with a guy that swears he is clean, but it doesn't seem like he even knows exactly what he was tested for. About three weeks ago I started to have extreme vaginal soreness, stinging and burning. I went to the doctor and she did a herpes culture with a swab when she had the speculum in. I didn't have any sores or lesions. It came back negative. After reading on this forum, I wonder if that culture is considered to be accurate???? From what I have read there needs to be open sores etc to culture for herpes.
The doctor told me I had a yeast infection, she didn't culture for that just said thats what it looks like and gave me tetrazole. I was also tested negative for all other vaginal infections, bladder infections and stds. Well two weeks have passed and I still don't feel better. I took a herpeselect test yesterday- 95 days post exposure to unprotected sex and it came back negative to HSV1/2.
Does this sound like herpes to you????? Would my culture have been accurate??? I am a little confused about the accuracy of the Herpes test. How accurate is the blood test???
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I meant to add that most yeast infections indeed respond to terazole and similar treatments. However, 10% are resistant. You should return to your doc and discuss your continuing symptoms. But this doesn't mean you have herpes. (In fact, it's further evidence against herpes, which rarely lasts 2 weeks without getting better.)
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Relax. You can trust your doctor's diagnosis. Almost certainly you had a yeast infection, not herpes.
There is misinformation widely posted on the web saying that herpes and yeast can be confused with one another. This is true, but only in this way: A woman has genital itching, doesn't realize there are herpes sores, and assumes yeast is the cause. The symptoms recur from time to time, which can happen with yeast. When herpes is finally diagnosed sometime later, she then realizes that what she thought was yeast really was herpes. However, gyn's don't often confuse herpes with yeast on direct examination. Your doc did it exactly right: it isn't normal to culture for yeast; visual inspection is the usual way to diagnose it.
Anyway, your symptoms sound more like yeast and the timing of your symptoms was wrong for herpes. Most important, a negative blood test 3 months after the last possible exposure is also strong evidence against herpes. Putting together all the evidence: symptoms, timing, doc's diagnosis, negative virus test, and negative blood test, it is not possible that herpes explains the symptoms.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
There is misinformation widely posted on the web saying that herpes and yeast can be confused with one another. This is true, but only in this way: A woman has genital itching, doesn't realize there are herpes sores, and assumes yeast is the cause. The symptoms recur from time to time, which can happen with yeast. When herpes is finally diagnosed sometime later, she then realizes that what she thought was yeast really was herpes. However, gyn's don't often confuse herpes with yeast on direct examination. Your doc did it exactly right: it isn't normal to culture for yeast; visual inspection is the usual way to diagnose it.
Anyway, your symptoms sound more like yeast and the timing of your symptoms was wrong for herpes. Most important, a negative blood test 3 months after the last possible exposure is also strong evidence against herpes. Putting together all the evidence: symptoms, timing, doc's diagnosis, negative virus test, and negative blood test, it is not possible that herpes explains the symptoms.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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.
