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HSV IGG Test accuracy at 6 weeks with possible mild symptoms?
I made a stupid mistake and went to a massage parlor with a sex worker. I did not have intercourse, but we were both naked. She kissed my chest a few times, and her vagina may have rubbed on to my groin while doing that. Otherwise, she masturbated me with her hands and breasts, which i feel like really rubbed in the HSV. no protection was used, as no actual intercourse happened. But she did touch herself and subsequently touched my penis.8 days after, i noticed a slight sore throat for a day and then bad runny nose, congestion, and sneezing came on, which lasted for about a week. No fever, but i also didn't check because i thought it was sudden bad allergies. I also noticed what appeared to look like a pimple on my pubic region. It was a single 'pimple', that just had a red base, slightly raised, didn't notice any fluid filled blister or vesicle, just a slight raise, like a very small pimple or infected hair. Now i'm terrified that that was actually herpes. The runny nose and sneezing lasted for about 5-6 days (which seemed long for allergies). The 'pimple' didn't progress much further and while it is still visible now (~ 5 weeks now), it just looks like some red skin. I just thought it was an odd pimple.
I had sex with my partner about 2 weeks ago. and then 6 days after she developed a rash and itchy labia. It went away after 4 days. However, then another 'pimple' showed up on my pubic region, 1cm away from the original 'pimple'. again as a single raised red base around a hair follicle. Again, i continued to think it was a pimple but am now terrified that not only is it HSV, but that i've infected my partner and that she just had mild symptoms with the mild rash (she has previously tested negative for HSV). With that second 'pimple' I've also started getting runny and stuffy nose really bad again and constantly coughing up bright neon yellow mucus, an indication of fighting off an infection. The mucus has been going for more than a week now. So I got a herpes type specific igg test exactly 6 weeks from the massage incident. and test results came back negative. However, I'm not sure if its simply too early still.With all the runny nose, congestion, and mucus, and itching for my partner, is it possible that I'm actually hsv positive?How accurate is HSV test at 6 weeks post-exposure?Is it possible that i simply haven't seroconverted yet, even if i've already had possible symptoms? If those 'pimples' were symptoms, would antibodies typically be detectable already (compared to someone who had asymptomatic hsv, which might require waiting 12? 16? weeks post-exposure?)?Is runny and stuffy nose considered typical flu-like sypmtoms that are often described with HSV outbreaks?Is it possible that my described sexual massage activities likely could transmit HSV?Please help, i'm so worried. Thank you.
I had sex with my partner about 2 weeks ago. and then 6 days after she developed a rash and itchy labia. It went away after 4 days. However, then another 'pimple' showed up on my pubic region, 1cm away from the original 'pimple'. again as a single raised red base around a hair follicle. Again, i continued to think it was a pimple but am now terrified that not only is it HSV, but that i've infected my partner and that she just had mild symptoms with the mild rash (she has previously tested negative for HSV). With that second 'pimple' I've also started getting runny and stuffy nose really bad again and constantly coughing up bright neon yellow mucus, an indication of fighting off an infection. The mucus has been going for more than a week now. So I got a herpes type specific igg test exactly 6 weeks from the massage incident. and test results came back negative. However, I'm not sure if its simply too early still.With all the runny nose, congestion, and mucus, and itching for my partner, is it possible that I'm actually hsv positive?How accurate is HSV test at 6 weeks post-exposure?Is it possible that i simply haven't seroconverted yet, even if i've already had possible symptoms? If those 'pimples' were symptoms, would antibodies typically be detectable already (compared to someone who had asymptomatic hsv, which might require waiting 12? 16? weeks post-exposure?)?Is runny and stuffy nose considered typical flu-like sypmtoms that are often described with HSV outbreaks?Is it possible that my described sexual massage activities likely could transmit HSV?Please help, i'm so worried. Thank you.
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There is no risk for herpes from handjobs, kissing breasts/chests, and you can't really "rub it in".
You say her vagina "may have" rubbed on to your groin. You aren't sure? My guess is that means it didn't happen, or it was brief enough to not really be a risk. In order to transmit herpes, there needs to be enough contact to transmit, with friction, usually the kind associated with intercourse.
When we say flu like symptoms, we mean an achy feeling, fatigue, maybe swollen glands in the area of the infection. It's not a stuffy nose and a cough.
Maybe you had covid or the flu, but it doesn't sound like herpes.
Lots of things cause bumps in the genitals. Did you see a doctor?
The IgG is 70% accurate at 6 weeks, but really, I don't think you had much of a risk. I wouldn't worry at all.
You say her vagina "may have" rubbed on to your groin. You aren't sure? My guess is that means it didn't happen, or it was brief enough to not really be a risk. In order to transmit herpes, there needs to be enough contact to transmit, with friction, usually the kind associated with intercourse.
When we say flu like symptoms, we mean an achy feeling, fatigue, maybe swollen glands in the area of the infection. It's not a stuffy nose and a cough.
Maybe you had covid or the flu, but it doesn't sound like herpes.
Lots of things cause bumps in the genitals. Did you see a doctor?
The IgG is 70% accurate at 6 weeks, but really, I don't think you had much of a risk. I wouldn't worry at all.
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Also, it seems like every time you visit sex workers, you panic. Perhaps it's just a better idea to not do that anymore, and to talk to a counselor about why you keep doing things that bother you so much, and about your anxiety.
Your comment about this spot on, and I definitely need counseling to figure out why I do these things...
For the risk though, her vagina definitely did rub against me. What's concerning is that I got these runny and stuffy nose symptoms exactly a week after. and the pimple appeared. Is it possible to really look like just a pimple? And with my partner, she was confirmed negative before, and then immediately got a rash one week after our intercourse. I continue to have bright yellow phlegm and the pimples have lasted several weeks.
You say there are flu like symptoms, but that the stuffy nose isn't classic. But then that maybe i had the flu. So i'm not sure what to make of that?
Is 6 weeks typically enough time for antibodies to show up, assuming those were actually mild symptoms? If you have symptoms, do antibodies show up faster, thus higher test confidence?
I didn't have a chance to see the doctor because i thought they were just pimples and now its just red skin. Isn't the timing of all these occurrences exactly how herpes progresses?
For the risk though, her vagina definitely did rub against me. What's concerning is that I got these runny and stuffy nose symptoms exactly a week after. and the pimple appeared. Is it possible to really look like just a pimple? And with my partner, she was confirmed negative before, and then immediately got a rash one week after our intercourse. I continue to have bright yellow phlegm and the pimples have lasted several weeks.
You say there are flu like symptoms, but that the stuffy nose isn't classic. But then that maybe i had the flu. So i'm not sure what to make of that?
Is 6 weeks typically enough time for antibodies to show up, assuming those were actually mild symptoms? If you have symptoms, do antibodies show up faster, thus higher test confidence?
I didn't have a chance to see the doctor because i thought they were just pimples and now its just red skin. Isn't the timing of all these occurrences exactly how herpes progresses?
If you still have yellow phlegm, see a doctor. That sounds like a sinus infection or something. It is NOT related to herpes. Herpes doesn't cause phlegm.
Also, your possible exposure was genital, so your symptoms would be genital.
"For the risk though, her vagina definitely did rub against me." - if there wasn't friction like the kind associated with intercourse, there's not really a herpes risk.
Symptoms don't cause antibodies to develop faster. People without any symptoms develop antibodies at the same rate. By 6 weeks, 70% of people have developed antibodies, regardless of symptoms.
Herpes doesn't cause lingering red skin. It sounds like maybe you had a bacterial infection, maybe folliculitis or something.
Your timing is coincidence.
See a doctor, and get therapy.
Also, your possible exposure was genital, so your symptoms would be genital.
"For the risk though, her vagina definitely did rub against me." - if there wasn't friction like the kind associated with intercourse, there's not really a herpes risk.
Symptoms don't cause antibodies to develop faster. People without any symptoms develop antibodies at the same rate. By 6 weeks, 70% of people have developed antibodies, regardless of symptoms.
Herpes doesn't cause lingering red skin. It sounds like maybe you had a bacterial infection, maybe folliculitis or something.
Your timing is coincidence.
See a doctor, and get therapy.
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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.
