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Red Bump but not an STD Need Help!
In the spring of 2005 I broke up with my ex girlfriend who I had unprotected sex with and was not sure if she was STD free. 3 months later I began dating another girl and started having protected sex with a condom. After the first time we had sex I noticed small painless red bumps on my penis. I went to my health care provider and took a blood test. The doctor was sure it was herpes and gave me 10 days of Valtrex 1g. After a few days the bumps began to diminish and disappear My blood work came back and stated the following:
Herpes Simplex 1+2 IgG
Herpes Simplex Type 1
0.08 - Less than 0.90 Negative for Anitibodies
Herpes Simplex Type 2 0.14 - Less than 0.90 Negative for Anitbodies
Herpes Simplex Virus IGM
HSV IGM AB NOT DETECTED
After I received my results and was informed I didn't have herpes and I never informed my girlfriend of the issue. In July of 2007 my girlfriend was checked for STD s and came back Negative. Soon my girlfriend started using birth control and we began having unprotected sex without a condom. I never saw those red bumps again until NNovember of 2007 when my girlfriend got off birth control and we began using a condom again. After sex with the condom a few days later 2 small bumps appeared on the back of my shaft towards the head of my penis. I waited for over a month for them to go away, and then they finally did but 2 other red bumps began forming , 1 in almost the same spot on the back of my penis and now one on the front of my penis. When i arrived home from college I immideatly saw my doctor who said they didn't look like herpes since I felt no pain. She took my blood again almost 3 years from my first time I had blood work done and the results looked like this:
Tested om 12/21/07
HSV 1/2 Glycoprotein IgG
HSV 1 Glycoprotein IgG 1.02 0.90 - 1.10 Equivocal - Questionable presence of IgG anitbody to HSV type 1
HSV 2 Glycoprotein IgG 0.07 .089 IV of less - Negative- No significant level of dectctable IgG anitbopdy to SHV type 2
At that same time I explained that the valtrex i was given the first time helped the bumps go away. She agreed to give me a 5 day sample to see if it would help. I began taking valtrex again in 500 mg levels twice a day starting December 28 and the bumps began to diminish but not go away fully. During that time of taking the valtrex I had sex again with a condom and 2 to 3 days later new bumps began forming. I returned to my doctor and explained to her what happened. She thinks it may be a reaction to latex condoms. At that visit she did a Polymerase test where she wiped the bumps. The results came back saying "Polymerase chain reaction assay was NEGATIVE for Herpes Simplex Virsus types 1 and 2
I just want to know what else I could be looking at. There are only 2 bumps that are somewhat red. They are painless, they do not itch and i have no discharge. I took another blood test on January 10th but am waiting to hear the results. Does this look like a possible reaction to condoms since they only appear after using them? or is it really herpes? Please let me know what You may think it could be. I have an appointment for a dermerotoligst in February.
Herpes Simplex 1+2 IgG
Herpes Simplex Type 1
0.08 - Less than 0.90 Negative for Anitibodies
Herpes Simplex Type 2 0.14 - Less than 0.90 Negative for Anitbodies
Herpes Simplex Virus IGM
HSV IGM AB NOT DETECTED
After I received my results and was informed I didn't have herpes and I never informed my girlfriend of the issue. In July of 2007 my girlfriend was checked for STD s and came back Negative. Soon my girlfriend started using birth control and we began having unprotected sex without a condom. I never saw those red bumps again until NNovember of 2007 when my girlfriend got off birth control and we began using a condom again. After sex with the condom a few days later 2 small bumps appeared on the back of my shaft towards the head of my penis. I waited for over a month for them to go away, and then they finally did but 2 other red bumps began forming , 1 in almost the same spot on the back of my penis and now one on the front of my penis. When i arrived home from college I immideatly saw my doctor who said they didn't look like herpes since I felt no pain. She took my blood again almost 3 years from my first time I had blood work done and the results looked like this:
Tested om 12/21/07
HSV 1/2 Glycoprotein IgG
HSV 1 Glycoprotein IgG 1.02 0.90 - 1.10 Equivocal - Questionable presence of IgG anitbody to HSV type 1
HSV 2 Glycoprotein IgG 0.07 .089 IV of less - Negative- No significant level of dectctable IgG anitbopdy to SHV type 2
At that same time I explained that the valtrex i was given the first time helped the bumps go away. She agreed to give me a 5 day sample to see if it would help. I began taking valtrex again in 500 mg levels twice a day starting December 28 and the bumps began to diminish but not go away fully. During that time of taking the valtrex I had sex again with a condom and 2 to 3 days later new bumps began forming. I returned to my doctor and explained to her what happened. She thinks it may be a reaction to latex condoms. At that visit she did a Polymerase test where she wiped the bumps. The results came back saying "Polymerase chain reaction assay was NEGATIVE for Herpes Simplex Virsus types 1 and 2
I just want to know what else I could be looking at. There are only 2 bumps that are somewhat red. They are painless, they do not itch and i have no discharge. I took another blood test on January 10th but am waiting to hear the results. Does this look like a possible reaction to condoms since they only appear after using them? or is it really herpes? Please let me know what You may think it could be. I have an appointment for a dermerotoligst in February.
Yes, when the second PCR was done it was durring another out break. Im just noticing that after I had oral sex on the 19th another outbreak occured and the bumps began appearing on the 22nd. Its like im alergic to my girlfriend or something!
Is it possible that the blood work may be positvie for HSV type 1 but these "outbreaks" are not herpes realted and something else such as Genital Warts? If you can think of anything that may sound like, like another virus, can you please list what you think it may be?
I have a visit with the dermitologist on Feb 5th and im hopeing to finaly settle this for good.
Is it possible that the blood work may be positvie for HSV type 1 but these "outbreaks" are not herpes realted and something else such as Genital Warts? If you can think of anything that may sound like, like another virus, can you please list what you think it may be?
I have a visit with the dermitologist on Feb 5th and im hopeing to finaly settle this for good.
First, HSV 1 and HSV 2 are related but slightly different viruses. The 1 and 2 don't refer to the locations in which they are found. So while either can orally or genitally, they have a "preference" for a location. HSV-1 is more common orally and HSV-2 is more common genitally, but it's thought that up to 30% of gential HSV is actually HSV-1. And yes, an open sore makes it more likely to spread, but HSV can also be spread when the person is asymptomatic.
So, from your second test, it's safe to say you have HSV-1. And because you saw lesions genitally and were previously HSV negative, that's got to be what's going on.
PCR is actually an excellent test, it's used less commonly than culture but it's much more reliable. So the fact you had two negative PCRs is interesting. When you did the second PCR, were you having another outbreak? Even PCR is unlikely to come back positive unless you are having an active outbreak, and you do the PCR in the first couple of days. This is not always the case though, as PCR will often come back positive if you are asymptomatically shedding the virus.
So, from your second test, it's safe to say you have HSV-1. And because you saw lesions genitally and were previously HSV negative, that's got to be what's going on.
PCR is actually an excellent test, it's used less commonly than culture but it's much more reliable. So the fact you had two negative PCRs is interesting. When you did the second PCR, were you having another outbreak? Even PCR is unlikely to come back positive unless you are having an active outbreak, and you do the PCR in the first couple of days. This is not always the case though, as PCR will often come back positive if you are asymptomatically shedding the virus.
I apologize for taking so long to post my most recent blood work restults and most recent PCR. Here were the following blood work results:
HSV 1 Glycoprotein IgG 1.43
1.11 IV of greater ......... Positive- IgG anitbody to HSV type 1 glycoprotein G detected, which may indicate a current or past HSV infection
HSV 2 Glycoprotein IgG 0.07
0.89 IV or less............ Negative- No significant level of dectectable IgG antibody to HSV type 2 glycoprotein G
Herpes Simp Type 1/2 IgM 1.23
1.10 IV or Greater............Positive- IgM anitbody to HAS dectected, which may indicate a current or recent infection. However, low levels of IgM anitbodies may occasionally persist for more than 12 monthes post-infection.
* Just had a couple of questions. My doctor explained to me that HSV type 1 is oral, but i read that this can also oocure on your genitals. Is it possible to get HSV type 1 through oral sex on the genitals if the person performing oral sex has an open cold sore? I know that HSV type 1 and 2 are the exact same thing and its not possible to tell if its actually type 1 or type 2 but does my situation sound like like type 2 or type 1?
I also did another PCR test and the results came back as followed:
1. Polymerase chain reaction assay was NEGATIVE for Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2.
* Question- Are PCR test bad ways to test for HSV types 1 and 2. Are they accurate? THis is the second PCR test that has been conducted and the results were both negative. Whats does this mean?
HSV 1 Glycoprotein IgG 1.43
1.11 IV of greater ......... Positive- IgG anitbody to HSV type 1 glycoprotein G detected, which may indicate a current or past HSV infection
HSV 2 Glycoprotein IgG 0.07
0.89 IV or less............ Negative- No significant level of dectectable IgG antibody to HSV type 2 glycoprotein G
Herpes Simp Type 1/2 IgM 1.23
1.10 IV or Greater............Positive- IgM anitbody to HAS dectected, which may indicate a current or recent infection. However, low levels of IgM anitbodies may occasionally persist for more than 12 monthes post-infection.
* Just had a couple of questions. My doctor explained to me that HSV type 1 is oral, but i read that this can also oocure on your genitals. Is it possible to get HSV type 1 through oral sex on the genitals if the person performing oral sex has an open cold sore? I know that HSV type 1 and 2 are the exact same thing and its not possible to tell if its actually type 1 or type 2 but does my situation sound like like type 2 or type 1?
I also did another PCR test and the results came back as followed:
1. Polymerase chain reaction assay was NEGATIVE for Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2.
* Question- Are PCR test bad ways to test for HSV types 1 and 2. Are they accurate? THis is the second PCR test that has been conducted and the results were both negative. Whats does this mean?
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. I figured that the first HSV test was to early. My doctor seemed to believe that Valtrex didn't even help at all. I did not explain that when i first noticed the red bumps the first time in 2005 I did not see a doctor until a couple weeks after. Therefor it could be possible that the time between me first noticing the bumps and when i started taking Valtrex was enough time for the bumps to go away on their own. Indicating that maybe it was a reaction to latex. In 2007 I did the same thing. I didn't see a doctor for up to a month and half. In Early November was when the bumps came back. I did not have sex for upwards to 3 weeks and by then the first bumps and gone away but as soon as i had sex again new bumps formed. The last time I had sex before I saw the doctor was around Mid December and since then Ive been sexually active having sex at least once a week. It is strange that HSV-1 may have indicated a possibility for Antibodies but then a PCR proved it was negative. When you stated that it is possible that i have both HSV-1 and a sensitivity to latex then why do they only appear after using a condom. Does latex triggers HSV-1? I also wanted to know that even tho 2005 test was to early could it really take 3 years for antibodies to form. I know Valtrex helps form antibodies if I'm not mistaken and if I'm now on my 3rd trial of Valtrex, why are there no clear signs of present antibodies? I should receive my blood test result tomorrow and I will post them. Once again thank you for taking the time to respond
It seems here, with the initial diagnosis by sight of HSV by the doctor in 2005, and the subsequent borderline HSV-1 detection in 2007, that you probably have HSV-1 genitally. The first IgG test was no doubt too soon after the initial infection to come back positive. Add to that the fact that Valtrex seemed to help before and the evidence is pretty strong.
The only thing going against gHSV-1 is your negative PCR swab of your lesions. For one thing, kudos to your doctor for doing that instead of the much less sensitive culture. Seems like you have got a good one. False negatives are much more rare for PCR, so that is a tricky one.
One possible explanation is maybe you have both gHSV-1 and a sensitivity to latex. Certainly nothing says that situation is impossible.
You might think about taking another blood test to see if the result comes back more in the positive or more in the negative range.
The only thing going against gHSV-1 is your negative PCR swab of your lesions. For one thing, kudos to your doctor for doing that instead of the much less sensitive culture. Seems like you have got a good one. False negatives are much more rare for PCR, so that is a tricky one.
One possible explanation is maybe you have both gHSV-1 and a sensitivity to latex. Certainly nothing says that situation is impossible.
You might think about taking another blood test to see if the result comes back more in the positive or more in the negative range.
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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.
