Possible HSV1 Genital Exposure

[Smithy789]

Close to a year ago I had unprotected oral sex with a random girl. STD history unknown. No vaginal sex. I became very paranoid afterwards and was constantly checking myself for weeks.  Approximately 2 months later I shaved the pubic region one night.  When i woke up the next morning i had a single large white growth where I had shaved. It definately wasnt there the night before so it came up overnight. I didn't know what it was and didn't think too much of it. It didn't hurt or itch at all. Approximately 36 hrs later I looked again and all that was left was a large open sore, a little bit like an ulcer. This healed in the next 4 days or so. I had a doctor look at when it was an open sore and he said it looked like herpes (which freaked me out). He did a swab which came back negative for both herpies 1 and 2. The swab was done approx 2.5 days after the growth appeared. He didn't run the swab over the sore much at all though. Very lightly.

Approximately 1 week later I got an intense itch in the same area which lasted about 6 days. It was a really intense burning/itch . No sores/blisters etc. little bit of redness.

Approximately 4 months later I got a intense hot flushing sensation in my scrotum and moved back and forth from the scrotum to the pubic area and back again. This lasted an hour or so. After it stopped I got a small patch (coin size) of intense itching in my pubic area which lasted about 2 days. Then disappeared.

I have had a full blood and urine test 11 months post exposure all negative except HSV1. I have had cold sores since childhood.

Questions
1.  Does anything I have explained sound like herpes to you?  
2. Is it true once you get HSV1 in one location you can't get it somewhere else?
3. If not herpes, then what could cause this? Especially the intense hot flushing genital sensation followed by 2 days of itching. I've never had this before.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I understood you situation from the original post.  Your questions are repetitive and have already been answered:

1. So since I've had coldsores for 20 years is this impossible to get it genitally?
"...once you have HSV-1 at one location you cannot get it again at any location. "

2. If the above is true why have so many doctors told me otherwise? I've had 3 different doctors telling me this is possible. I beleive you as you are a specialist in this area, but why are other doctors so misinformed?
I cannot explain the lack of knowledge on the part of the persons you spoke with.  Knowledge about HSV has increased a great deal in the past 15 years- they are out of date as many health care providers are.

3. This had caused me so much anxiety for so long. Do I need to move on?
Yes.

EWH

[Smithy789]

Hi doctor,
Thanks for the reply. I just want to make clear that I tested positive for HSV1 in my blood test 11 months post exposure. However I have always tested positive for this. Ever since I commenced std testing many years ago. Explains the childhood coldsores.

I also didn't mention that after shaving my pubic region I had applied white vinegar as I heard it could show up warts, which it didnt. Does this add even more proof to that I probably caused the sore and irritation myself??

Three more questions
1. So since I've had coldsores for 20 years is this impossible to get it genitally?

2. If the above is true why have so many doctors told me otherwise? I've had 3 different doctors telling me this is possible. I beleive you as you are a specialist in this area, but why are other doctors so misinformed?

3. This had caused me so much anxiety for so long. Do I need to move on?

Thanks again Doctor, these will be my last questions.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum. I'll be glad to comment. While I did not have a chance to examine you, what you describe sounds in no way like HSV but instead some local reaction related to shaving.  Further, that you had both a negative culture at the time the lesions was present and a negative blood test 11 months later makes it most unlikely to have been HSV as well.  It may also be reassuring for me to point out to you that even when STD specialist make a tentative diagnosis of HSV based on appearance, it turns out that they are wrong about 20% of the time.  I would not be worried that this is/was HSV.

1.  Does anything I have explained sound like herpes to you?  
No, not at all- see above.

2. Is it true once you get HSV1 in one location you can't get it somewhere else?
Yes it is.  If you get cold sores, you almost certainly have HSV-1 and once you have HSV-1 at one location you cannot get it again at any location.

3. If not herpes, then what could cause this? Especially the intense hot flushing genital sensation followed by 2 days of itching. I've never had this before.
See above.  you may be connecting unrelated events- the local irritation/sore/lesion may not in any way be related to the symptoms you have experienced since.  What you describe does not raise any concern about STD for me.  the local itching may be some other dermatological process but without something to look at it will be quite hard for anyone to make an accurate diagnosis.

I hope my comments are helpful.  EWH