Need Advice

[worried127]

I have had unprotected oral and protected vaginal with a girl about four times over the past five months the last time I had sex with her was Oct 14, 08. The following week someone close to her told me she has herpes not sure if it is true. When I heard this I started to panic. The condom stayed on the entire time and didn't break, I checked it carefully each time. I also had one unprotected vaginal encounter with a different girl that I have known for awhile about three months ago, but the sex only lasted for a couple of minutes. I have not had oral or vaginal sex in two months. After each of my protected and unprotected encounters  I examined my penis and scrotum daily and thoroughly. There has been no sores/blisters, no burning when I urinate, no pain. I do have some mild itching on the side my scrotum. A month ago I went and had an STD checkup everything came back negative, but when I asked my doctor if he tested me for herpes he said no he didn't. I told him about what happened and what I had heard about the girl, and he told me not to worry about it, since I hadn't had any symptoms such as burning, sores or blisters. I am 26 and he has been my doctor ever since I was a child, so he knows that I worry a lot. I asked him is it possible to have herpes and not know it and he said yes, but since I pay close attention to my body I would have noticed it and wouldn't have missed it. He did look at my penis and said he didn't see anything at all, except  for some really small bumps that he had to stretch the skin to see and he said that it's normal. I have a cold sore before. He told me to stop worrying and stop looking, and if nothing has happened by now then I'm fine. I just need a second opinion

My questions are 1) Is it safe to stop worrying about this and move on? 2) Should I get a blood test? 3) Is it true that if someone is paying attention that herpes is hard to miss 4) With the amount of time that has passed do you think I'm safe and didn't get herpes

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I have several comments before I get to your questions.

First, hearsay is notoriously inaccurate, not to mention malicious.  I would not believe that someone has herpes because someone says it is the case.  If you wonder about your partner, ask her.  for that matter, while you don't need to tell her who said it, you could even tell her that others are spreading such rumors.

Second, your doctor sounds wise and the information he has given you is right on target. I would add to what he has already told you that the fact that you have had cold sores will tend to help you resist HSV-2. Cold sores are caused by HSV-1 and the body's response to HSV-1 offers partial resistance to infection by HSV-2.  thus why it does not guarantee that you won't get herpes, it does help.

Now on to your questions:
1.  Yes.
2.  You have to decide this.  There is little you have said to suggest that you have herpes and, as your doctor has already pointed out, you appear to pay pretty close attention.  What would your reaction be if you had HSV, or if you did not/  Also, consider that the fact that you have HSV-1 does somewhat increase your risk for a false positive result so, if you get tested and the result is positive, check out the result before you accept it as fact.  
3.  Yes
4,  Herpes lesions most typically appear 3-10 days following transmission from an infected partner.

Hope this helps.  Take care.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

In your situation you are more likely to have a false positvie result for HSV-2 that a true positive.  At 4 months the blood test will detect about 80% of HSV-2 infections acquired 4 months earlier.  Whether that is "good enough" to alleviate your anxiety is not something I can answer.  I do however worry that you will get a false positive result which will make your anxiety worse, not better.  Those are the facts, what you do with them is up to you.  EWH

[worried127]

I decided to go ahead and have a blood test done for hsv2, despite never having any symptoms such as lesions or blisters, and my results were negative. This was done at the 4 month mark since my last unprotected sexual encounter and 2 months since the last protected encounter. Do I need further testing since it has only been 2 months since the last protected encounter, or should I just accept these results and let it go. I know i've read that sometimes it can take six months

Thank You for your help