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Herpes?

I believe I was exposed to the herpes virus, although my partner claims he has never had an oral coldsore nor any genital problems.  I did not have penetrative PIV sex, but both our pants were off and I think it was possible that there was contact, but no friction or rubbing occurred.  He performed oral sex on me for probably no longer than 20 seconds.  I gave him a handjob, did not wash my hands right away, but did not genitally rub myself whatsoever.  

About 10 days later, I began worrying about getting an s.t.d, but did not research symptoms.  I began getting tingling in my legs and left arm followed by a sore buttocks, sore legs, and a headache.  I had severe nerve irritation in my buttocks and thighs for two weeks, followed by 4 red pimple sized red bumps on my buttocks, three thumbnail sized light red spots on the top of my left thigh and one on my left calf.  I did not have them examined, they did not itch and went away in two days. This was followed by random vaginal pains and leg pains.  A recent exposure igg test was done at 6 weeks after exposure and came back negative, as well as a vaginal skin culture at 8 weeks.

The partner was sick was a pretty bad cold five days before the contact.He had sneezing and coughing.  Is it possible that he gave me a virus or bacteria that could have caused these symptoms?  Or does only the herpes virus affect the sciatic nerve?
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Avatar universal
A related discussion, Leg Pain-STD? was started.
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A related discussion, Leg Pain-STD? was started.
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I'm wondering if you know if my symptoms could be related to some sort of sciatic bacterial infection.  Is a bacterial infection of the spine even possible?  The only thing I can think of for the cause would be a very minor car accident I was in 2 weeks prior, but I thought I just experienced whiplash.  (I hit my face on my window).  I didn't have a pinched nerve or anything, as the burning feeling in my thighs and buttocks occured aftet the leg tingling and soreness of both legs.
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Joe:  New questions/problems need to be posted on a new thread, not as comment on an exsisting one.  But if you'll read the MANY other threads with essentially the same question, you will find the answers; you are at essentially zero risk from the exposure and your symptoms aren't due to HIV.

Rainstorm:  PHN due to HSV-2 probably is rare in people without overt herpes.  Conceivably you could have zoster sin herpete (shingles--which is localized recurrence of childhood chickenpox-- without skin rash), but that is rare too.  The vast majority of cases of symptoms like yours are not due to herpes or varicella.

HHH, MD
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Avatar universal
When I said "nerve irritation" I meant that I felt a burning, tingling pain primarily in my buttocks but also in my thighs.  I would relate the sensations to PHN.  Is it true that in order to have PHN, I MUST have had a pretty bad genital outbreak?  Could my symptoms be related to the chicken pox virus acting up if I had it as a child?  My bumps did not itch.
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Avatar universal
hi,
i am a straight male and had unprotected vaginal and unprotected oral sex with a female i just met 4 weeks ago.  i caught a cold about the same time i had unprotected sex.  my cold symptoms included productive coughing, swollen lymph nodes, and possibly a fever.  i am still coughing, but not as much and i am almost fully recovered from my cold.  i do not have swollen lymph nodes or fever.  i am concerned about being infected w/ HIV.  i was wondering if my catching a cold would cause a delay in seroconversion of HIV.
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I'm not sure why you believe you were exposed to herpes simplex virus (type 1 or 2?) if your partner says he isn't infected.  Even if he has asymptomatic HSV infection, your risk of transmission from a single exposure, especially without penetration, is very low.  Hand to genital contact doesn't transmit herpes or any other STD.

Your symptoms do not particularly suggest herpes, although I don't know what you mean by "nerve irritation" of the buttocks and thighs.  Anyway, 2 days is much too fast for herpes lesions to go away.  I can't tell whether or not your "IgG" test for HSV is reassuring or not.  If it was the HerpeSelect test, a negative result for HSV-2 6 weeks after exposure is pretty reassuring, although not perfect.  You could be retested at 3 months, but I am quite sure you don't have genital herpes.  I don't think you even were exposed to the virus.

Anybody close enough to someone to have sex of course can catch a cold from that person.  But your symptoms don't sound like a respiriatory virus.

HSV can affect various nerves, including the sciatic--but not as the only symptom.  Without genital lesions to suggest herpes, you can be sure this isn't the cause of your "nerve irritation".

It sounds like you don't have detailed knowledge about genital herpes and its manifestations.  Please read the herpes article under the link "STD Quick Facts and Articles" on the STD forum home page, before you ask any follow-up questions.

Good luck, and stop worrying about herpes.   HHH, MD
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