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Recurring outbreak or new infection?

So to start off, you can find a question/thread that I posted a couple of years ago with my HSV dilemma just to keep it short.

Long story short, I thought I had caught HSV2 but it never showed up in Igg tests nor a Western Blot test. The only thing that came up was HSV1 via Igg and no doctor/nurse ever swabbed or did a PCR because they said there was nothing they could swab (fluid). But they didn't seem to care much and didn't seem engaged. So, based off on conversations with Terry after explaining to her what happened and seeing the WB results, she said that I may have it in the genitals so I accepted it.

As time went on, I kept taking Valtrex to help with the outbreaks, especially since I may have spread it to my eyes. I definitely felt the symptoms subside when I would take the antivirals. And I noticed that the symptoms in my genitals got less severe as time went on.

Now, a few weeks ago I received protected oral only with the female licking my testicles for a few seconds and a few weeks after had protected sex with another woman. With this woman, she gave me protected oral with lots of saliva dripping down my scrotum and inner tighs and my testicles hit her vagina very briefly (fraction of a second) via doggy style (i put my hand in between for the rest of the intercourse).

A couple of days after this, I started feeling an outbreak again like in the past but this seemed intense! The strange thing is that the irritation and burning is coming from all the same spots as long before (in the post i made years ago) which is my lower scrotum, perineum, inner thighs, back thighs areas. And this doesn't seem like a recurring outbreak since it's very intense, which makes me think if I caught HSV2 now or another HSV1 infection or perhaps another STD?

I went to urgent care and the doctor said it looked Fungal but he wasn't entirely sure. I've been using some cream but it's not really helping much. I had red large bumps in both sides of my inner thighs that look similar to bug bites (i think not sure).

Could this be a recurring outbreak of what I already had before (HSV1)? or based on what I said could this be a new infection? It's been 1 week since I had intercourse. I'm worried once again and even started to worry about HIV and how herpes makes it easier to contract.

It just doesn't make sense that I'd start having intense outbreak symptoms a couple of days after having sex once again. Does being exposed to someone with an active STD trigger an outbreak? Seems like that would be a definite trigger.

Please advise. Really sucks that we have to wait so long for testing. You would think that there would be better testing indicators in 2021.
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207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
So first of all, I went back and reread the thread from 2019.

Terri said that while you may have ghsv1, it didn't sound like it:

"While you could have HSV 1 genitally, nothing you have described here sounds like genital HSV 1 either
I don't know why you are having itching and irritation but I don't think jumping to the conclusion that it is herpes makes good sense."

You've never actually had an outbreak, from what you said before - you are not getting blisters or sores that last a week or longer, correct?

What are you referring to as outbreaks - nerve pain issues?

You can not get another hsv1 infection. You can't get reinfected with it because you have antibodies that protect you from that. Your IgG and WB tests confirm that you do have that, whether it's oral or genital. You can't get it again.

Receiving oral sex won't put you at risk for hsv2. Oral hsv2 is very rare, and when it does happen, it rarely sheds, rarely recurs and without symptoms, doesn't transmit.

Terri also said this: "Your scrotum bumping up against her perineum would not present any realistic risk of infection". The same holds true if they touched her vagina.

(Your thread is here if you need to read it all again - https://www.medhelp.org/posts/Herpes/Tingling-Burning-sensation-on-buttocks--groin--and-behind-inner-thighs-/show/3040398  You copied and pasted Terri's entire response.)

Your chances of hsv2 from these encounters is next to zero - not even worth worrying about.

It saddens me that after all this time of you having nerve pain that you have assumed it's herpes, and never followed up to investigate another cause of it. You could have a disc issue in your back, a prostate issue, an anal fissure, or a couple dozen other things that would cause your symptoms. Unless you are having actual herpes outbreaks - blisters that last a week or more - you don't get nerve pain from herpes.


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3 Comments
Every time I take valacyclovir the symptoms subside. I've read that many people don't get the classic/typical lesions. I think I get them but they're too small or hard to make out and the fact that doctors don't take their time to get a good look makes it even more frustrating. The thing is that it's very hard to ignore that soon after a sexual encounter, the symptoms begin to start again and rather intensely and even one of the doctors (I believe HHH) has mentioned that more often it is herpes than not. These symptoms also feel like tiny little cuts and burn!

Yes I do get blisters/sores that are apparent at the back of my thighs and buttocks. That thread that I posted 2 years ago, after stroking my penis with a condom on after it had been penetrating her, I finished and took it off...upon which I used hand sanitizer and rubbed the excess sanitizer on the back of my thighs and buttocks vigorously. I believe this spread it...why? Because it irritated my skin and allowed easier transmission. I've also read Dr. HHH say that sanitizer would make it worse and irritate the skin thus allowing easier entry. And I also rubbed it vigorously. I thought the alcohol would kill the virus but I guess not. These sore/blisters burn! when I get an outbreak and they lasted a 1.5 week or so. But they had subsided after a while...until I had sex again. That is now my dilemma.

1.) I haven't found anything on this yet but could having sex with someone who also has herpes TRIGGER an outbreak? I've read from some of you that it's not true however, it would make sense that being exposed to someone with an already infection would irritate or trigger an outbreak, I mean, a fungal infection would trigger an outbreak so why wouldn't another HSV infection?

2.) I understand that having antibodies to the same type of HSV will protect you but is that 100% protection? Because I've read Dr. HHH say that at least will provide a good amount of protection but not absolute; and aren't there several sub-strains?

3.) I'm more worried obviously about catching HSV2; assuming I have genital HSV1, would that make more susceptible to an HSV2 infection?

4.) I started having some burning paper cut symptoms between my shaft and scrotum and my scrotum looks red. Upon closer inspection (i had to take a good look), I can see small pinkish spots that resemble a blister/cut like. This is where the burning pain is localized. The thing is that it's hard to make out and I've read that they're usually easy to find. Couldn't I have tiny lesions? This is probably why so many people go undiagnosed. No one takes a close look.

5. I was diagnosed with Type2 Diabetes earlier this summer (unfortunately) and have to prick my fingers. I had pricked my finger the same day about 5 hours earlier before I had intercourse. I removed the condom after the session ended. Could this pose a risk for HIV? The bleeding stops soon after pricking since the shard are designed that way. Just wondering if that was risky. Based on what I've read here that poses no risk since it's outside the body. Thought I'd ask you.

6. Should I worry about HIV if I'm having these symptoms? I ALWAYS use condoms so I worry if this puts me at a higher risk.

I've spoken to RNs, NPs, and PAs and some have said that you can spread herpes to your eyes or other parts of your body when you touch a fresh lesion and don't wash your hands, even long after having an established infection.

There has to be a better and quicker method for diagnosing these viruses; I can't believe that in 2021 this very old virus can't be permanently suppressed like the other ones. What are they doing with all the money they get for research? Why hasn't there been any significant progress in seeking a cure for this virus or at least far better medication? If no one ever questions them or pushes them then nothing will change. It's like they just accept it and oh well, this will be the state of things forever.

Sorry for the rant. This is just very frustrating.

Thanks for replying and giving your input. Very much appreciated.
Auntiejessie, did you read my reply?
So first, you can't "spread" herpes in the genital area. Once you have it genitally, you can get it anywhere in the boxer shorts area. It infects nerve groups, and genital herpes infects the sacral ganglia. This affects the area generally covered by boxer shorts.

I'll answer your questions, but let's remember that you tested negative on the Western Blot. You do not have hsv2. You probably have a long established hsv1 infection, like millions and millions of other people.

1.) I haven't found anything on this yet but could having sex with someone who also has herpes TRIGGER an outbreak? I've read from some of you that it's not true however, it would make sense that being exposed to someone with an already infection would irritate or trigger an outbreak, I mean, a fungal infection would trigger an outbreak so why wouldn't another HSV infection?

Sex can trigger an outbreak in people. It doesn't matter if the person they are with has herpes or not. You can't reinfect someone with something they already have antibodies for.

2.) I understand that having antibodies to the same type of HSV will protect you but is that 100% protection? Because I've read Dr. HHH say that at least will provide a good amount of protection but not absolute; and aren't there several sub-strains?

I don't know that it's 100%, but it's very, very close. I have genital hsv2. I wouldn't worry about having sex with someone with hsv2, but I probably wouldn't perform oral sex on someone with an active hsv2 outbreak, just to be safe. That's when it's most infectious.

3.) I'm more worried obviously about catching HSV2; assuming I have genital HSV1, would that make more susceptible to an HSV2 infection?

No, it wouldn't make you more or less susceptible. It makes you the same as everyone else.

4.) I started having some burning paper cut symptoms between my shaft and scrotum and my scrotum looks red. Upon closer inspection (i had to take a good look), I can see small pinkish spots that resemble a blister/cut like. This is where the burning pain is localized. The thing is that it's hard to make out and I've read that they're usually easy to find. Couldn't I have tiny lesions? This is probably why so many people go undiagnosed. No one takes a close look.

No. You can get a PCR swab of the area and find herpes. See a dermatologist if you are so concerned, and they can do a PCR swab. It's far more sensitive than a regular culture.

5. I was diagnosed with Type2 Diabetes earlier this summer (unfortunately) and have to prick my fingers. I had pricked my finger the same day about 5 hours earlier before I had intercourse. I removed the condom after the session ended. Could this pose a risk for HIV? The bleeding stops soon after pricking since the shard are designed that way. Just wondering if that was risky. Based on what I've read here that poses no risk since it's outside the body. Thought I'd ask you.

No. To get HIV through a cut, you need a large, openly bleeding wound. HIV dies quickly outside it's human host, and your partner probably didn't have HIV.

6. Should I worry about HIV if I'm having these symptoms? I ALWAYS use condoms so I worry if this puts me at a higher risk.

If you always use condoms, you are at a lower risk. This comment isn't logical.


I've spoken to RNs, NPs, and PAs and some have said that you can spread herpes to your eyes or other parts of your body when you touch a fresh lesion and don't wash your hands, even long after having an established infection.

In theory, you can, but this would be really rare. It's not something I'd spend time worrying about.

You asked about research - there is research happening, but research money also has to go into things like COVID, cancer, HIV, traumatic injury, etc. I've had hsv2 for about 20 years, and I'm very much okay with that. Hsv2 isn't going to kill me, disfigure me, make it hard for me to breath, or seriously impact the quality of my life.

You still haven't looked into anything else that could be causing your symptoms. You should.
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