Did HSV-2 come from my current partner?

[TB1992]

I began having symptoms for the first time in May 2018, I noticed I had some vaginal bleeding. I have the Mirena for birth control, which has caused the absence of periods. A year and a half ago, maybe longer. I had chlamydia and noticed bleeding between periods then as well. I thought the bleeding in May was just from rough sex or something. Then on May 27, I started feeling the nerve pain in my upper back. I had no idea what was going on. Monday the 28th, I noticed a sore in my mouth, a sore on the pubic area, and one sore on the labia minora. Still had no idea what was going on. I’ve never physically seen herpes other than the horror story photos online. What I had didn’t resemble that at all. Tuesday, the 29th began the dysuria, fever, malaise. Wednesday the 30th I went to my primary doc, showed her the sore and she ordered the blood test, which came back Negative.

One week later I went to my gyno on June 6 for my pap and new patient appointment. I explained what happened at my regular doc. She opened a healing sore and cultured it, and sent the pap results off for testing as well. Both came back positive for HSV-2.

I know it takes 3-4 months for antibodies to show up in the blood. My question is about the incubation period. Is there a chance my current partner since Feb 2018 gave me the infection? Or did it come from the previous partner?

Still trying to figure out how to break the news.

[Sleepy12345]

Yeap i would definitely say new bf for sure.

[Clover666]

I would lean towards yes it most likely came from your current partner. Ask him if he wouldn’t mind getting an igg type specific blood test.

[TB1992]

I just feel that’s so unlikely though! He was married 18 years before he met me. The wife had an affair and left. I know it’s possible he could have gotten HSV from her before me, I just don’t have any way to prove it. We have been sexually active since Feb 2018.

[Clover666]

If he has antibodies to hsv2 and you still don’t due to be recently infected. Then he has had it for awhile.

[Clover666]

There are a lot of times. Where one person is infected and the other never gets it. Then there are times where one person didn’t realize they had it and passed it on to their partner.

[TB1992]

I know he has been with a lot of people, but he did all that when he was in his 20s before he met his wife. The wife cheated twice that I know of. It’s likely he has had it for years, right?

I just don’t understand how we’ve been together since February and it’s just now showing up. I’m worried that I’ve had it since before we met and never had an outbreak until now.

[Clover666]

Actually no it’s not that weird to just show up now. Hsv isn’t active 24/7 and isn’t active every day, especially with a established infection. Your boyfriend could of been shedding or had a small outbreak and didn’t even realize. Your relationship isn’t over and don’t feed the stigma that your damaged. You got a very common skin disease. In a gentle nice way explain to him to you want him to get tested. Just make sure it’s igg and igm.

[Clover666]

And not igm I meant

[TB1992]

Thank you for your help!!!

[Life360_Dave]

Hi if the test you had that was negative was the igg type specific ifs very reliable so we could assume the antibodies were not yet developed. Also the timing of the flu like symptoms appearing after the sores appeared all point to a recent infection. But just to be clear a swab was taken from your mouth and a swab from the outside area of your vagina or was the vaginal swab from your cervix area?

[TB1992]

The swab was from the sore on the labia.

[Life360_Dave]

also you mouth?

[TB1992]

The sore in my mouth was healed by the time I had the swab test.