hsv 1 risk

[jimjam8]

Saturday (5 days ago) i (a guy) had unprotected vaginal sex with a new partner. She's just called to let me know she's been diagnosed with HSV 1 via a swab (she believes she got it from receiving oral sex 2 weeks before we met from a different guy). Her Dr has noticed a pimple like bump but it is not an open sore yet. She started having discomfort symptoms the day after she was with me (5 days ago). Am I high risk for having contracted HSV 1 from unprotected vaginal sex with her? We had done this 2-3 times over the course of 12 hrs. I have some mild discomfort in my urethra but have had this before due to drinking alcohol/too much caffeine. I have no bumps at this stage.

I've read on the Dr forums that hsv 1 is rare to pass genital to genital but it seems my exposure was right at the beginning of her outbreak. She's unsure if she had bumps when she was with me but sure that she had no discomfort. Naturally am extremely worried and hoping some medical professionals or people on here with HSV 1 can share their thoughts (good or bad regarding my situation)

Thanks you.
  

[Fleetwood20]

Yes I'd be confident. Unless you can get a genital swab, there isn't another reliable way of confirming a genital HSV1 infection.

[jimjam8]

hi Fleetwood, mid last week I developed a red pimple like bump on my meatus, a couple other non fluid filled bumps under foreskin. No pain but the general irritation in the urethral (mild) has continued on. Yestd I tested negative by swab and blood for hsv1. Bumps don't seem to have changed since emerging but after applying anti fungal they seem to be fading fast. Can I be reasonably confident I haven't gotten hsv1 from this encounter or is further testing required?

[jimjam8]

Hi Fleetwood, her timing checks out as she has shown me the results. Tested this tuesday and results received yestd. HSV 1 via pap smear confirmed. Her prior encounter was 25 april so her bump was swabbed 16 days after this event. She confirmed she received oral sex from the guy but doesn't remember noticing a cold sore. I am now worried I've infected her but I haven't received unprotected oral sex since my last clear blood test and only had one instance of unprotected vaginal with another girl.

I am having pain when urinating. It feels deep in my urethra.. I've had irritation at the tip before but not this feels different today. She tested negative for bacterial infection. Am feeling more worried than yestd. I still have no visible sores whatsoever, just this irritation when urinating. I can't see any sores in the opening of my urethra and the pain is actually coming from deeper. Does this additional info allow you to provide me anymore advise or comment? Very worried now that i'm the one who infected her and or that she's definitely infected me. Should/could i test now with no visible sores?

[Fleetwood20]

The pre event odds are not important. The answer is 0% or 100% and we need to find the truth of this. Without sores emerging by now, its a good sign. I'd say 2 weeks without symptoms would be good enough for me.

Not that it matters but this partner's story is simply a bit out in my view.

[jimjam8]

just confirmed she hasn't had a blood test for hsv1&2, just the swab.

[jimjam8]

Do you still think my chances are as low as 1% based on the additional info. It's day 6 now and still no bumps/lesions - is this a good sign for me? I will check with her the blood test. What do you think may be amiss? Thanks

[Fleetwood20]

Your expectations haven't changed, there was a small chance you were infected only time will tell, the outcome is either yes or no and not a probability. Nothing changes this.

I of course might be wrong, but it feels there is something slightly amiss here. What were the results of her blood test?

[jimjam8]

Seems Fleetwood has logged off, can anyone else share their thoughts?

[jimjam8]

just spoke to her on the phone - her test was this tuesday morning and she got her results this morning (thursday) so two days. It was the pap that revealed the HSV1, so culture? She had a pap smear, swab and blood test all at the same time. She says from sunday evening (within 12 hrs) of being with me she felt some discomfort and irritation peeing but didn't notice any sores. Dr identified one pimple like bump near her clitoris during the examination on tuesday. Hope this helps you make a call on what my expectation should be?  

[Fleetwood20]

It is only hours from virus appearing on the skin's surface to sores appearing. Hence Saturday to Monday is potentially independent.

I have to say that there is something not quite right here. A single pimple like bump is most likely not a primary HSV1 infection. It sounds much more like a recurrent outbreak of HSV1 or even not HSV1 at all but she was shedding at the time of the swab. The fact that she happened to have her routine test on the Monday is a bit interesting too, wouldn't you say? Given the pap was on Monday, when did she get her result? Was it culture or PCR?

[jimjam8]

yea my test a few months ago was blood. Haven't had sores to swab.

The girl had a swab as part of a routine pap smear. If she did have sores is my risk very high given I had 2-3 instances of unprotected vaginal sex with her whilst she was presumably in the early stage of HSV1 primary outbreak? Please excuse all my additional questions, am feeling quite anxious about this situation.

[Fleetwood20]

With no sores, the transmission odds are very low.

Was your test for IgG antibodies?

[jimjam8]

That's reassuring, she's a mess about this so am trying to console her whilst at the same time worrying for myself. So Fleetwood, just to confirm, if she was symptomatic during then my overall risk is still low? She tested negative for everything except HSV 1 specifically and she is confident its from her exposure two weeks ago. It wasn't particularly rough sex we had and aside from the slight irritation in my urethra there is no evidence of anything amiss.

Thanks again.

[Fleetwood20]

Well the virus is present only hours before symptoms present so it is genuinely uncertain whether there was any virus present during sex. Even if it was, then there is still a low chance, say 1% of infection.

[jimjam8]

her swab was taken on the monday, we'd been together satd night. She describes her symptoms as mild. I've been tested negative for both HSV1 and 2 a few months ago. There is this mild irritation in my urethra but i've definitely had a similar sensation before and come up negative for STD tests. I think it's mainly due to irritants (alcohol and caffeine) as well as stress/anxiety. Is no bumps at 5 days a good sign? Is it unlikely she could pass on to me genitally regardless of her having symptoms? Freaking out.

Thanks for your response Fleetwood20

[Fleetwood20]

It it was a single bump, this might be more indicative of a longer term infection for her. How long after sex with you was the actual swab taken?

Whether or not it was you her infected her or not, there's a chance you already have HSV1. If this is the case, you were at no practical risk.

Otherwise you'd very likely have symptoms within a week of the sexual contact if infected. I'm thinking her infection is actually longer term in which case your risk was incredibly low to begin with.