Very worried

[chris89955]

Dear Terri,

I have been reading over all the posts about Herpes and have even posted  the STD expert forum:

www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Clarification-of-advice/show/1494433

I am worried about the possibility of genital herpes. I had only ever sucked 5/10 men one of which I swallowed. 7/10 men performed fellatio on me. I have had anal sex with 5/10 – where I was on top and it was protected.

From my reading, I have learnt that the risk of transmission is under 1 in 1000 and the fact that the exposures were condom protected lowers the risk. I saw a post by Dr Hook, who said that condom protected sex carries no risk of STD's. I saw another post where he said the reason why condom protection lowers the risk is because it covers the penis which otherwise during sex may develop tiny little tears in the skin whereby the virus uses these tears as a mechanism to transmit.

I have spoken to my private GP and a GP at FH. They both said I have nothing to worry about. The last exposure was 5 months ago and they both told me that I would have developed them by now. I saw a post where you said the average is 5.5 days for symptoms to appear.

I have had cold sores in the past and now they are very mild - slight tingling then they go away. I was told that a cold sore is brought on by the body being run down and thus immunity is lowered. The doctors told me that if I were to have HSV 2, when I develop my cold sore it would be the case that I would notice genital herpes too - this I have not.

I have a girl friend and we have had unprotected sex in the past, roughly about 9/10 months ago and now sex is all condom protected. She has never had any symptoms. So is this good reassurance that I do not have the virus?

Please can you offer me your thoughts?

I am too nervous to get a test and as Dr HHH and me both commented a positive result may cause unanswerable questions. My GP and the GP at FH said where there are no symptoms there is no point to test.

Thank you.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I think your risk of having acquired HSV 2 is very low - it is not zero as you know.  If symptoms ARE going to appear, they will do so normally within 2-10 days after infection, but again, as you know, not everyone has symptoms.  I wish I could provide you with certainty about this, but I can't.  Your odds of being infected are really low.  If you get cold sores when run down, we know that often HSV 1 and HSV 2 recur and/or shed at the same time, so yes, that might be likely.  

Terri

[chris89955]

Thank you for your reply.

Both my GP and the doctor at FreedomHealth in London suggest that testing is unwarranted, unnecessary and as I said may not show the complete picture.

You have also provided more reasons as to why testing may not be such a good idea.

My doctor and the FH doctor and Dr HHH said that it is highly unlikely,that I have the infection after so few exposures.

From my reading, you said in a post that if one has not had an onset of symptoms within 2 weeks, then one should stop worrying - the average being 5.5 days My last possible exposure was 5 months ago and I have not had anything.

From this information and my past sexual history, as well as the post by Dr Hook who states that transmission occurs in less that 1 in 1000 cases and that transmission is lowered by 30% when wearing a condom, do you feel that I should relax as it is unlikely that I have HSV 2?

I would just like another expert in the field to provide some reassurance.

Finally, do you agree with the statement that if I were to have a cold sore  form being run down or from having a virus etc then if I were to have HSV2, I would notice some symptoms?

Thank you.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Well, testing could both reassure you and confuse you, it is true.  If you do have HSV 2, you are less likely to have symptoms genitally since you already have oral herpes.  The oral herpes keeps the symptoms much under control, should you contract genital infection.  

You are correct, condoms work when the cover the areas exposed to possible infection.  For herpes, condoms reduce transmission by 30%.  The incidents of receiving oral sex are not an issue for you since you already have oral infection already.  

The issue that might arise with you and HSV 2 testing is that sometimes people who have HSV 1 have a false positive with the HSV 2 test.  This happens in about 3% of those tested.  Only you can decide  about the testing issue.  You'll have to decide which scares you more, not knowing or getting a result that could be a false positive and having to do follow up testing to resolve the issue once and for all.

Terri

[chris89955]

I should also say, as of this morning, down my left thight I have been having a zappy feeling (like a trapped nerve). Is this anything? No sores or anything? My mind just plays overtime!

Thanks.