Recently diagnosed with genital HSV-1

[kk333]

Hi, in the middle of January I had a sexual encounter with a male where only touching of eachother's genitals were involved. There was no oral or vaginal sex. We were naked though and did sleep next to eachother naked the whole night. The following week I had really bad lower back pain for 3 to 4 days and then developed a low fever for a couple of weeks. The following week after that I had really bad nasal congestion and sinus headache. I went to my doctor and was treated with 3 day antibiotics for a sinus infection. After finishing my antibiotics I had my yearly gynocologist visit and everything was fine. Papsmear was normal.  In the mean time, I still had a very bad sinus pressure and headache, so I went back to my primary doctor and was perscribed more antibiotics (a stronger 10 day course). While taking the second antibiotics, I started to get a lot of itching and irritation in my genital area. I figured it was a yeast infection from all of the antibiotics I was taking. I was then prescribed the one day dose and cream for a yeast infection. But area got more sore, had painful urination, and swollen lymph nodes in my groin. Because of the swollen lymph nodes my gynocologist said I better come in. So February 19 (over a month after my sexual encounter), I went back to my gynocologist and she took one look and said it was herpes. I tested positive by blood and by culture for HSV-1. My question is, does this seem normal? Would I have test positive within a month? Was this a normal course for genital hsv-1? Could I have really gotten it from that specific encounter? I am having a hard time accepting that is how I got it when I didn't even have any kind of sex. Could I have had it previously, but it intensified because of my yeast infection and antibiotics? Is genital hsv-1 something that could have been dormant in my body? I had no other symptoms previously, though. THanks for your help.

[gracefromHHP]

even the best blood tests still miss 1 out of every 10 hsv1 infections.

did you check on your lesion culture results?

grace

[kk333]

Thanks so much for your response. This was the first time that I ever had any symptoms and I've had no previous vaginal infections. I did tell my partner of my symptoms and told him I was getting tested, but I haven't confirmed anything with him yet. I wanted to be sure that I got it from him. Of course though, he said that he has been tested for std's and has none. But I went on Monday to LabCorp to get tested for all the major std's, since I've been so freaked-out since this incident. I got my results back today and tested negative for everything including herpes 1 and 2. My results read:
Herpes Simplex 1

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Types I and II Specific Antibodies, IgG
HSV-1 aB IgG
<0.90

NEGATIVE
Herpes Simplex 2

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Types I and II Specific Antibodies, IgG
HSV-2 aB IgG
<0.90

NEGATIVE

How is this so? How could my doctor tell me over a month ago that I was positive for hsv-1 by blood and by culture? I am so confused. She never told me the numbers from my test, just that I test positive. Any insight? Thanks so much!

[gracefromHHP]

have you talked to this partner at all about this?  You wouldn't get hsv1 genitally from just sleeping together but if you were having naked outercourse ( aka foreplay as most of us call it ), it can be transmitted then but it's really low risk. hsv1 genital infections are typically acquired from receiving oral sex from a partner.

Was your lesion culture hsv1+ specifically or just hsv+ and assumed hsv1 since your blood test was hsv1+?  was your blood test an igg blood test that was type specific ( gave a result for hsv1 and a 2nd result for hsv2? ).

have you ever had anything like this previously ? How about any vaginal infections prior to this?

grace

[Mistakeguy789]

In theory you could have gotten the HSV from sleeping together if you were close and he was actively shedding the virus.  It takes skin to skin contact to be infected.  Did your partner get tested?  

About 50% of HSV tests will be positive within 4 weeks.  So it is possible you could have tested positive.  There were a few things that could have been outisde factors IE being sick can happen at the same time.  It could have been that you have had HSV for a while or not.  There really isn't a way to know other then finding out your partners status.  If he is negative and hasn't had any partners for the last 3-4 months then chances are you have had this for awhile.

[kk333]

Correction - initial fever was only for a couple of days (not weeks!)