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Herpes After No Symptoms
I experienced some sharp pains and have discovered a little lesion almost on the inside of my inner labia. I have had oral herpes outbreaks before, and they make me really exhausted and feel terrible, plus I take daily acyclovir. Currently I feel fine, just very stressed from school.
I’ve never been diagnosed with genital herpes, and had unprotected sex with only two partners. I’m in a long term relationship with someone for over a year, and they are clean. I do get tingling in my labia, but its happened almost daily for two years but I’ve been to the doctor a few times for other questionable bumps and I’ve never come back with anything. The only thing I can think of is that I used my spit as lubricant right after I had my first oral outbreak of herpes but I was told by my doctor that unless I directly touched the sore and then touched my genitals, transmission was low. I feel crazy because I felt like I’ve had herpes for years and all my doctors told me nothing I have are signs of it. However I feel devastated, and I haven’t been unfaithful to my partner, so if I do get diagnosed I won’t know what to tell him. Does this sound like it could be herpes? Or could it just be irritation? The sore looks like a blister though, which is a telltale sign. I feel sick to my stomach
I’ve never been diagnosed with genital herpes, and had unprotected sex with only two partners. I’m in a long term relationship with someone for over a year, and they are clean. I do get tingling in my labia, but its happened almost daily for two years but I’ve been to the doctor a few times for other questionable bumps and I’ve never come back with anything. The only thing I can think of is that I used my spit as lubricant right after I had my first oral outbreak of herpes but I was told by my doctor that unless I directly touched the sore and then touched my genitals, transmission was low. I feel crazy because I felt like I’ve had herpes for years and all my doctors told me nothing I have are signs of it. However I feel devastated, and I haven’t been unfaithful to my partner, so if I do get diagnosed I won’t know what to tell him. Does this sound like it could be herpes? Or could it just be irritation? The sore looks like a blister though, which is a telltale sign. I feel sick to my stomach
COMMUNITY LEADER
So first, you've had oral herpes for a long time, which means you have antibodies that protects you from getting hsv1 in another location on your body. Autoinoculation (infecting yourself in another part of the body) is not that common, and your doctor is correct - you'd have to directly touch a sore, then touch your genitals or your eye, or whatever.
Also, you're on acyclovir. That would make it really unlikely that you'd get a genital outbreak. Genital hsv1 doesn't recur nearly as frequently as ghsv2 does, and many people only get one outbreak, and never have another.
Some people have reported feeling nerve-like pain on acyclovir and Valtrex. Usually, if you feel it on acyclovir, you won't on Valtrex, and vice versa. It may also just be normal twinges that you are hyper-aware of because herpes is causing you so much anxiety.
If you have a lesion that looks like a blister, you should see a doctor TODAY and get it cultured. Ask for a type-specific culture or PCR swab. Go to an urgent care if you have to, but the sooner you get it cultured, the more accurate the results will be. After about 72 hours, or the blister has popped, it's hard to rely on a culture result. The PCR swab is far more sensitive, but not every place does that. Insist that they culture it if they think it's herpes. A visual diagnosis is often wrong.
How do you know your partner doesn't have herpes? Has he been tested with a type specific IgG herpes blood test? No symptoms doesn't mean he doesn't have anything.
Go to the doc today, and let us know what happens.
Also, you're on acyclovir. That would make it really unlikely that you'd get a genital outbreak. Genital hsv1 doesn't recur nearly as frequently as ghsv2 does, and many people only get one outbreak, and never have another.
Some people have reported feeling nerve-like pain on acyclovir and Valtrex. Usually, if you feel it on acyclovir, you won't on Valtrex, and vice versa. It may also just be normal twinges that you are hyper-aware of because herpes is causing you so much anxiety.
If you have a lesion that looks like a blister, you should see a doctor TODAY and get it cultured. Ask for a type-specific culture or PCR swab. Go to an urgent care if you have to, but the sooner you get it cultured, the more accurate the results will be. After about 72 hours, or the blister has popped, it's hard to rely on a culture result. The PCR swab is far more sensitive, but not every place does that. Insist that they culture it if they think it's herpes. A visual diagnosis is often wrong.
How do you know your partner doesn't have herpes? Has he been tested with a type specific IgG herpes blood test? No symptoms doesn't mean he doesn't have anything.
Go to the doc today, and let us know what happens.
4 Comments
Hi - thank you for your response. I went to the doctor and was told it looks like a “nonspecific lesion” and since I am on acyclovir it’s unlikely to be a herpes outbreak. Doc suggested it could be abrasion due to sex, which would make sense since my partner and I had sex two days ago and I was pretty dry and didn’t have lubricant on hand. I got it swabbed and will find out the results in a few days.
I don’t think he’s ever had a blood test, just no symptoms. I have had far more partners than him, but I have only had unprotected sex with a few people. He has had few partners but had unprotected sex with most of them I believe. It’s possible he could be asymptomatic, I just always assume it’s me since I had more partners lol
I don’t think he’s ever had a blood test, just no symptoms. I have had far more partners than him, but I have only had unprotected sex with a few people. He has had few partners but had unprotected sex with most of them I believe. It’s possible he could be asymptomatic, I just always assume it’s me since I had more partners lol
I'm glad the doctor cultured it.
I'm not sure if you're buying into the theory that only people with a lot of partners get STDs, or if you just think you have more risk because you've had more partners. I don't know your numbers, and certainly don't need to, but if you had sex with 20 people, and used condoms for all but 3, and he's had sex with 5 people, and never used condoms, the risk is probably even. And maybe none of your 20 had an STD, and 2 of his 5 did - it's sometimes just luck of the draw.
I had more than my share of partners when I was younger, then got herpes when I was in a long-term, serious relationship. Sometimes logic doesn't apply lol.
Let us know what the culture results are, and hang in there. :)
I'm not sure if you're buying into the theory that only people with a lot of partners get STDs, or if you just think you have more risk because you've had more partners. I don't know your numbers, and certainly don't need to, but if you had sex with 20 people, and used condoms for all but 3, and he's had sex with 5 people, and never used condoms, the risk is probably even. And maybe none of your 20 had an STD, and 2 of his 5 did - it's sometimes just luck of the draw.
I had more than my share of partners when I was younger, then got herpes when I was in a long-term, serious relationship. Sometimes logic doesn't apply lol.
Let us know what the culture results are, and hang in there. :)
I got the test results back and they were negative! So the doctor must have been right and it was an abrasion from intercourse. I will need to invest in better lubricant next time so this doesn’t happen again lol
Congrats! :)
If you search Google for "best lubes", there are hundreds and hundreds of articles about lubes and how to choose them. They have articles on lubes for sensitive skin, if you're prone to yeast infections, for different activities from masturbation to anal sex, toys, etc., etc. There's not one lube that's best for everyone - depends on your body and what you like to do. Happy researching! :)
If you search Google for "best lubes", there are hundreds and hundreds of articles about lubes and how to choose them. They have articles on lubes for sensitive skin, if you're prone to yeast infections, for different activities from masturbation to anal sex, toys, etc., etc. There's not one lube that's best for everyone - depends on your body and what you like to do. Happy researching! :)
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
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.
