Herpes? Yeast? I'm very anxious.

[afraidofresults2]

Prior to my ex I got tested for all STD's because I'm very anxious/paranoid about STD's. Herpes via serology was negative. My ex stated that he was clean also. The relationship began in April and prior to that I was abstinent for 2 years. we didn't always use protection. I had intercourse with a guy for about 2 minutes using a condom July 4th weekend. 10/01, i was on Tobramycin and Dexamethasone optic solution for an intense eye infx. around that time, I started having an intense, continuous burning sensation in my vagina. No sores. Went to the doctor, told her i was afraid I might have herpes, she looked and said I see nothing. No sores, no legions, no blisters. December 11th I had sexual contact w/ a guy brief rubbing of genitals. There was no insertion because I wasn't about to have unprotected sex. Around December 16th I started to use a highly perfumed body wash and I was also using scented w/ baking soda panty liners on a regular basis. 12/19 I started feeling slight, constant burning. My vagina got a bit red and uncomfortable. there was also milky white discharge. so I decided to go see another doctor. At first she looked and said I see nothing. She said she's seen plenty cases of herpes and what I have looks nothing like herpes. I've always had raised area in my vagina which i assume is normal. She then said she sees legions (the raised area i mentioned before) and that because of the dryness and discharge i was also having that I was going through a chronic yeast infection. I begged her to swab it but she said no. She told me to wait until the yeast cleared up then come back. she gave me diflucan and another topical anti inflammatory cream. The redness and uncomfortableness i was feeling in vaginal area went away, but til this day, I still have the slight burning.
Does this sound like Herpes?
Is it possible that I could have caught HSV2 from July 4th weekend?
Is it possible that I could have caught HSV2 from the December 11th event?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Yes, there could be burning and no symptoms.  This is really unlikely to be HSV.  Let us know your test results when theya re available. Until then,  I ahve little more to say.  EWH

[afraidofresults2]

Could there be burning and no other symptoms? I'm going to get retested within the next 2 weeks. I'm still scared, and I just think the worse that it's HSV. Thanks again.
C

[Edward W Hook, MD]

When people have HSV, the discomfort accompanies the presence of lesions in virtually all cases and may last up to 3 weeks with inital episodes but then, with recurrences, rarely lasts more than a week.

No, yeast is actually a pretty common cause of redness and irritation.  EWH

[afraidofresults2]

Thank you for your quick response. I am a bit at ease, but still worried. I'd like to ask a few more questions. If it were HSV2, would the burning be ongoing everyday? Is it rare for a yeast infection to cause redness or inflammation?
Thanks
Caitlyn

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  I see little in your description to suggest that you have herpes and suspect that your anxiety may be getting the best of you.  Before I answer your questions, a few comments to help put things into perspective.  For starters, you do not know if either of your partners had HSV and statistically the chances are that they did not.  Secondly, herpes is actually a pretty hard infection to catch for a disease that is so long lasting once a person has it- even when a person is directly exposed to herpes lesions, most exposures do not lead to infection.  In addition, herpes transmission is most likely to occur with unprotected genital insertion - neither your condom protected encounter in July, nor your more recent episode of rubbing involved this. Finally, you have alternate explanations for your symptoms.  The perfumes and other chemical in body washes are famous for causing allergic reactions and yeast infections, whether associated with discharge or the dry fungal infection you had can each cause the sorts of symptoms you describe.  Putting all of this together what you describe really does not sound like herpes.  

Neither your protected July 4 encounter nor your December 11 event are high risk for HSV.

Finally, I'd like to point out that sometimes after an exposure that, in retrospect, one wishes they had not had, persons tend to examine themselves and be far more attuned to genital sensations than in periods when they are not concerned.  This in turns leads to noticing what turn out to be normal sensations that might have been not noticed or ignored at other times.  Perhaps this may be contributing to your situation as well.

I hope my comment are helpful to you. Try not to worry.  EWH