Aa
Recently diagnosed
I will try and make this snappy! I was diagnosed after a first time outbreak (that I know of) and a month later I am having my second outbreak. This one seems to be worse as not only do I have sores and lesions on the outside of my vagina, but now I notice inside as well. I am currently on the seven day Valtrex and so frustrated the outbreak is worse on the meds. After today, I will be put on daily suppression meds. I was wondering if anyone else had the same experience. I’m 45, and divorced a year ago. Started a new relationship and my doctor believes that this is from oral sex and not exposure before my marriage years ago. I am so itchy it keeps me up at night. Any advice is greatly appreciated to get through this difficult time.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oh I did when I was first diagnosed - it was hellish.
It took me 9 months to get diagnosed with bacterial vaginitis, and that secondary infection kept herpes alive and kicking for a long time. As soon as I got that taken care, herpes calmed down tremendously. Ask your doctor to check you for yeast, BV, and other STDs. Itching is a classic symptom of BV and yeast.
Since it seems like you have genital herpes type 1 (and how did your doctor arrive at this conclusion), you may not need suppression.
Assuming that you do have ghsv1, typically, it recurs a lot less frequently, and it sheds a lot less than ghsv2. (The number indicates the strain, not the location, of the virus). Many people never get another recurrence after their primary (or after they cure their secondary infections, which are quite common).
Because it recurs less frequently, sheds a lot less frequently, and about half the adult population already has hsv1 orally (even if they never get a cold sore, they can still have it - 90% never get a cold sore), you are very unlikely to ever transmit it.
Now - find out if the doctor did a type specific culture on you when he diagnosed you. If he did, and it says hsv1, then yes, you have genital hsv1, which is a result of oral sex.
If he didn't, you can get a blood test to find out. It's called a type specific IgG blood test. It can take up to 4 months to show positive on this test, but many will much sooner - the average is 6 weeks. I did at 4 weeks.
DO NOT let your doctor do an IgM test - it's unreliable, cross reacts with other herpes family viruses like chicken pox, and shouldn't be done on adults.
If you test now, and are negative, test again at 4 months. If you are positive later, and negative now, that means this is indeed a new infection. Given that it's already been a month, you may already test positive for type 1, if that's what you have. It would be good to test at 4 months to make sure it's not hsv2, or to get an outbreak typed if you get another one. (That would be ideal, if it hasn't already happened - then you'll know for sure what type you have where. The blood test can only tell you what type you have, not where it's located. If you test positive now for type 1, it could mean that you have a pre-existing oral hsv1 infection.)
You can read more about testing, transmission, etc., in the Herpes Handbook. It's free, and written by one of the world's leading experts on herpes - https://westoverheights.com/herpes/the-updated-herpes-handbook/
I've given you a lot of info, so to recap:
1) Get checked for yeast, BV, and other STDs.
2) Find out if your doctor did any typing.
3) If not, do IgG blood tests at the proper time
And hang in there! I have had hsv2 for 15+ years. I promise you it gets better.
It took me 9 months to get diagnosed with bacterial vaginitis, and that secondary infection kept herpes alive and kicking for a long time. As soon as I got that taken care, herpes calmed down tremendously. Ask your doctor to check you for yeast, BV, and other STDs. Itching is a classic symptom of BV and yeast.
Since it seems like you have genital herpes type 1 (and how did your doctor arrive at this conclusion), you may not need suppression.
Assuming that you do have ghsv1, typically, it recurs a lot less frequently, and it sheds a lot less than ghsv2. (The number indicates the strain, not the location, of the virus). Many people never get another recurrence after their primary (or after they cure their secondary infections, which are quite common).
Because it recurs less frequently, sheds a lot less frequently, and about half the adult population already has hsv1 orally (even if they never get a cold sore, they can still have it - 90% never get a cold sore), you are very unlikely to ever transmit it.
Now - find out if the doctor did a type specific culture on you when he diagnosed you. If he did, and it says hsv1, then yes, you have genital hsv1, which is a result of oral sex.
If he didn't, you can get a blood test to find out. It's called a type specific IgG blood test. It can take up to 4 months to show positive on this test, but many will much sooner - the average is 6 weeks. I did at 4 weeks.
DO NOT let your doctor do an IgM test - it's unreliable, cross reacts with other herpes family viruses like chicken pox, and shouldn't be done on adults.
If you test now, and are negative, test again at 4 months. If you are positive later, and negative now, that means this is indeed a new infection. Given that it's already been a month, you may already test positive for type 1, if that's what you have. It would be good to test at 4 months to make sure it's not hsv2, or to get an outbreak typed if you get another one. (That would be ideal, if it hasn't already happened - then you'll know for sure what type you have where. The blood test can only tell you what type you have, not where it's located. If you test positive now for type 1, it could mean that you have a pre-existing oral hsv1 infection.)
You can read more about testing, transmission, etc., in the Herpes Handbook. It's free, and written by one of the world's leading experts on herpes - https://westoverheights.com/herpes/the-updated-herpes-handbook/
I've given you a lot of info, so to recap:
1) Get checked for yeast, BV, and other STDs.
2) Find out if your doctor did any typing.
3) If not, do IgG blood tests at the proper time
And hang in there! I have had hsv2 for 15+ years. I promise you it gets better.
4 Comments
I was blood test positive for both, and positive via swab for HSV2. Since my new partner and I have never have only been with each other since our divorces the doctor doesn’t think this was dormant for 10 plus years without me ever having a breakout until a month ago, two week after oral sex.
I cannot wrap my head around it either. All I know is a month later, two massive breakouts and it is so uncomfortable, plus, on the seven day meds, new breakouts in new parts of my vagina. This is horrible!
I cannot wrap my head around it either. All I know is a month later, two massive breakouts and it is so uncomfortable, plus, on the seven day meds, new breakouts in new parts of my vagina. This is horrible!
Has your new partner tested?
If you tested for hsv2 via a swab, that means you have hsv2 genitally. It would be HIGHLY unlikely for this to come from oral sex.
Can you get your test results? I'm wondering if your doctor did a combination test, and is incorrectly interpreting it as you testing positive for both.
A combo test will give you results like, "HSV1/2 IgG 8.73" (your number will be different, or it will say "positive").
A type specific test will say something like "HSV1 IgG 6.81 HSV2 IgG 8.32"
If it's the combo, it means that you tested positive for type 1 OR type 2 OR both. It can't tell you which. A type specific test can tell you which. It's possible that you have a pre-existing hsv1 infection that is showing on this test, and this is a new type 2 infection for you, from your partner.
Also, make sure it's an IgG, not an IgM.
Your partner should also be tested with a type specific IgG blood test.
It's also very possible that you had this for a really long time, and didn't know it. Many, many people end up in situations like yours, and if you got BV, that could trigger a herpes outbreak.
As severe as yours is, though, it sounds like a new infection, though that isn't a hard and fast rule. It could also be that severe because you have a secondary infection like yeast or BV.
Oral hsv2 is very rare, and when it happens, it rarely transmits from the mouth. It rarely recurs, and rarely sheds, so transmission almost never happens. I'd be very surprised if you got genital hsv2 from someone with oral hsv2.
In any case, your priority now should be to get tested for yeast and BV, and other STDs, if you haven't already. You need to get better.
If you tested for hsv2 via a swab, that means you have hsv2 genitally. It would be HIGHLY unlikely for this to come from oral sex.
Can you get your test results? I'm wondering if your doctor did a combination test, and is incorrectly interpreting it as you testing positive for both.
A combo test will give you results like, "HSV1/2 IgG 8.73" (your number will be different, or it will say "positive").
A type specific test will say something like "HSV1 IgG 6.81 HSV2 IgG 8.32"
If it's the combo, it means that you tested positive for type 1 OR type 2 OR both. It can't tell you which. A type specific test can tell you which. It's possible that you have a pre-existing hsv1 infection that is showing on this test, and this is a new type 2 infection for you, from your partner.
Also, make sure it's an IgG, not an IgM.
Your partner should also be tested with a type specific IgG blood test.
It's also very possible that you had this for a really long time, and didn't know it. Many, many people end up in situations like yours, and if you got BV, that could trigger a herpes outbreak.
As severe as yours is, though, it sounds like a new infection, though that isn't a hard and fast rule. It could also be that severe because you have a secondary infection like yeast or BV.
Oral hsv2 is very rare, and when it happens, it rarely transmits from the mouth. It rarely recurs, and rarely sheds, so transmission almost never happens. I'd be very surprised if you got genital hsv2 from someone with oral hsv2.
In any case, your priority now should be to get tested for yeast and BV, and other STDs, if you haven't already. You need to get better.
First of all, you are pretty awesome. Taking this time out to help strangers is amazing and I am getting more insight from you than my doctor. Second, I just made an appointment to get screenings for a full panel including BV. And I have talked to my partner for him to get tested, too. You think you’ve been married for so long, then start over and then this happens!!! I am a mom now, and you responded to another person on here about transmission to a child from casual contact. I read that thread and wanted to thank you for that insight to the other scared mom as well. You are good people.
Aww thanks.
"A full STD panel" is not really a thing. There is no consistency from doctor to doctor in what STD testing includes, unfortunately.
Make sure your testing includes:
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Trichomonasis (usually, when they test you for BV and yeast, trich is included, but make sure - this is all done on the same test)
Syphilis (this is pretty uncommon, and you haven't described any of the symptoms, but ask for it anyway)
Hsv type specific IgG
HIV
Make sure your partner gets these same tests, though there isn't a great test for men for trich.
I know it's discouraging when you get to a certain place in your life, and everything changes, and now you have to deal with stuff you thought you were past.
Let me know what happens, and hang in there!
"A full STD panel" is not really a thing. There is no consistency from doctor to doctor in what STD testing includes, unfortunately.
Make sure your testing includes:
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Trichomonasis (usually, when they test you for BV and yeast, trich is included, but make sure - this is all done on the same test)
Syphilis (this is pretty uncommon, and you haven't described any of the symptoms, but ask for it anyway)
Hsv type specific IgG
HIV
Make sure your partner gets these same tests, though there isn't a great test for men for trich.
I know it's discouraging when you get to a certain place in your life, and everything changes, and now you have to deal with stuff you thought you were past.
Let me know what happens, and hang in there!
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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.
