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HSV-2 worries
Dear Doctors,
I am a 19 year old female in college. On April 6 I was stupid & had unprotected sex 3 times in 1 night w/another student (a 21 year old man) & have become concerned about HSV-2. The boy told me he has never experienced an outbreak & has had unprotected sex w/3 other college-aged women. I haven't experienced any typical blistery lesions, especially not on the moist, hairless part of my vagina where they are usually supposed to occur. However, a little more than 6 weeks after the exposure, I've developed 3 red, pimple-like bumps on the back of my upper thigh (not clustered closely together), w/1 occurring in the crease where my thigh meets my butt. A nurse practitioner at Planned Parenthood said they weren't herpes on May 30, but 2 seem to have gotten a little bigger today (June 3), & when I picked at 1 it became v. puffy, inflamed, & sore & bled a little bit in the center. They weren't itchy/painful until I picked at the one.
I've been a wreck since the exposure & would really like to have a blood test done. I've already picked out the Herpeselect Immunoblot test but have become increasingly confused about when I should take it. I originally planned to take it 12 weeks after the exposure (June 29), which some sources say is right, but I've also read you can't be completely sure until 16 weeks. Most concerning to me is 1 response written by Dr. Hook in which he states that at 6 months only 85% of people w/previous HSV-1 symptoms will have developed antibodies for HSV-2. I have HSV-1 (I get cold sores) and really don't want to wait 6 months for a result that's only 85% accurate.
Despite all the information I've provided, my questions are actually pretty simple:
1. What is my risk for HSV-2 & will a test at 14 weeks past the exposure be accurate? I'm thinking of waiting two weeks past the 12 weeks mark to make the result a little more sure, but I don't think I can wait 16 weeks.
2. Do the sores I described above sound like herpes lesions?
Thanks!
I am a 19 year old female in college. On April 6 I was stupid & had unprotected sex 3 times in 1 night w/another student (a 21 year old man) & have become concerned about HSV-2. The boy told me he has never experienced an outbreak & has had unprotected sex w/3 other college-aged women. I haven't experienced any typical blistery lesions, especially not on the moist, hairless part of my vagina where they are usually supposed to occur. However, a little more than 6 weeks after the exposure, I've developed 3 red, pimple-like bumps on the back of my upper thigh (not clustered closely together), w/1 occurring in the crease where my thigh meets my butt. A nurse practitioner at Planned Parenthood said they weren't herpes on May 30, but 2 seem to have gotten a little bigger today (June 3), & when I picked at 1 it became v. puffy, inflamed, & sore & bled a little bit in the center. They weren't itchy/painful until I picked at the one.
I've been a wreck since the exposure & would really like to have a blood test done. I've already picked out the Herpeselect Immunoblot test but have become increasingly confused about when I should take it. I originally planned to take it 12 weeks after the exposure (June 29), which some sources say is right, but I've also read you can't be completely sure until 16 weeks. Most concerning to me is 1 response written by Dr. Hook in which he states that at 6 months only 85% of people w/previous HSV-1 symptoms will have developed antibodies for HSV-2. I have HSV-1 (I get cold sores) and really don't want to wait 6 months for a result that's only 85% accurate.
Despite all the information I've provided, my questions are actually pretty simple:
1. What is my risk for HSV-2 & will a test at 14 weeks past the exposure be accurate? I'm thinking of waiting two weeks past the 12 weeks mark to make the result a little more sure, but I don't think I can wait 16 weeks.
2. Do the sores I described above sound like herpes lesions?
Thanks!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
the longer you wait the more accurate the blood test will be. 12 weeks would be better than 8. There are not goo data on how many more infections would be detected beyond 12 weeks. EWH
Thank you very much Dr. Hook. You've made me feel considerably better, and I think you and Dr. Handsfield are wonderful for dedicating so much time to this forum. I'm sorry to press the issue, but if I did decide to get a blood test done in the hopes of definitively resolving my worries, would 12 weeks past the exposure be long enough to wait? I just would really like my result to be as accurate as possible (and I understand the potential risk of receiving a false positive). Again, thank you so much for your time and prompt response.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the Forum. I'll try to help and congratulate you on the fact finding you have done so far. Having read your post, my sense is that this is most unlikely to be herpes, after all, to summarize the facts to date:
1. It is statistically unlikely based on what you say that your partner has HSV-2.
2. You have been examined by a trained clinician who felt that your lesions were not HSV.
3. Your lesions occurred at a site other than your site of exposure.
4. Your lesions occurred long after an initial herpes outbreak would typically occur.
5. There is an excellent alternate explanation- the lesions that you describe and their location are quite typical of folliculitis. Folliculitis occurs when the pores in your skin get plugged. This allows that normal bacteria that are present on just about every-one's skin to grow and cause what is essentially a pimple. Some of these just appear as red bumps which may or may not be tender while others go on to actually form pimples.
Base on all that I've said above, there is little chance that your sores are due to HSV. If the lesions are still present (it sounds like they might be), a PCR test of the lesions could provide additional evidence to support the idea that this is not HSV. As far as the HSV antibody tests, your risk of having a false positive test is probably higher than the likelihood it would be positive. I recommend against it in your situation.
I hope these comments an perspective is helpful. I would bet a substantial sum that this is not HSV-2 and urge you not to worry. EWH
1. It is statistically unlikely based on what you say that your partner has HSV-2.
2. You have been examined by a trained clinician who felt that your lesions were not HSV.
3. Your lesions occurred at a site other than your site of exposure.
4. Your lesions occurred long after an initial herpes outbreak would typically occur.
5. There is an excellent alternate explanation- the lesions that you describe and their location are quite typical of folliculitis. Folliculitis occurs when the pores in your skin get plugged. This allows that normal bacteria that are present on just about every-one's skin to grow and cause what is essentially a pimple. Some of these just appear as red bumps which may or may not be tender while others go on to actually form pimples.
Base on all that I've said above, there is little chance that your sores are due to HSV. If the lesions are still present (it sounds like they might be), a PCR test of the lesions could provide additional evidence to support the idea that this is not HSV. As far as the HSV antibody tests, your risk of having a false positive test is probably higher than the likelihood it would be positive. I recommend against it in your situation.
I hope these comments an perspective is helpful. I would bet a substantial sum that this is not HSV-2 and urge you not to worry. 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.
