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Was my hsv2 exposure recent or have i had it for 3 years??

Im a male and i was recently diagnosed with hsv2 after noticing a group of little pimples around my pubic area and after some research i found that swollen lymph nodes is one of the symptoms and mine are swollen big time... but ive had the swollen lymph nodes before maybe once in 2017 and once after that but i thought maybe due to my labor intensive job.  During those times i never had these pimple clusters like i do now.. i just want to know if i have had hsv2 for 3 years or was i recently expsoed
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3191940 tn?1447268717
Pimples and herpes sores are nothing alike. Herpes sores are clear, fluid-filled blisters that are painful.  How were you diagnosed?
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These werent pimple they just look like them they were tiny in a group of like 7 and i was diagnosed by a doctor with the swab
Could you post the tests that were run, and the results?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/snk629dw7w7itjo/20201124_085208.jpg?dl=0
The pimples were more like little bubbles they didnt contain blood/puse but more of a clear liquid
And they were painful almost as if i had got burned in the area
They may have been herpes sores - when you said "pimples," it didn't sound like herpes.  In any case, your report doesn't contain enough information to determine when you were infected.
Ok thanks anyways i just feel that i caught it from girlfriend... and this is going to determine if we stay together
Is your girlfriend unwilling to test?
No she has no insurance and it cost  300 dollars but there was also som red flags i was concerned about befor i got hsv2
I'm sorry to hear that.  Relationships are difficult enough, and if there's suspicion of dishonesty, that can really erode a relationship.  

As you can probably see, auntiejessi is the real expert here, but as it's Thanksgiving week, she may be taking some time away.  It is my understanding, from reading her previous posts, that an IgG test may assist in determining whether your infection was recent versus some time in the past.  

If this is a matter of some urgency, and I can imagine how it would be emotionally, you can go to https://westoverheights.com/ and ask Terri Warren.  There's a fee for asking, but it may be worth it to you to get some answers, or a least a direction to go to get the answers.
U think i could ask my doctor for that test?
I'm sure you could ask - what I don't know is exactly what it would tell you.  That's why I suggest asking Terri Warren, or waiting until our US Thanksgiving holiday has passed, when the most knowledgeable volunteers in here are more likely to be available.
If you are able,  you should discuss with your doctor what those results mean, and share your concerns about when you might have contracted herpes.  The information from your lab isn't particularly illuminating (at least to me).
Thanks again
Yes, I agree with Curfew - the IgG blood test can help determine how long you've had it, but it's not magic. It can detect antibodies in your blood, and some people develop them quickly - I did at a few weeks. Others take longer - up to 12 weeks, and 70% will by 6 weeks.

Also, your gf could test positive today on an IgG blood test, and it doesn't mean much - she could have had it for a few weeks or a few years. A lot of people with herpes don't know they have it until they transmit it. They either have no symptoms or really mild symptoms that they'd never associate with herpes.

Herpes isn't definitive proof that someone has cheated, if that's what you are looking for. Definitely ask your doctor for the IgG test, though. And if you're in the US (which I'm assuming as you mentioned insurance), your gf can go to STDcheck.com and get an HSV2 IgG for $65 - https://www.stdcheck.com/herpes-2-test.php
Sorry i havent checked back for a while i was waitinf for an email notification. Me and my gf are still together im still curios about how long ive had herpies so i think imma get 2 hsv2 igg test one.for me to see how long ive had it and one for her to see if she has it
At this point, an IgG test will only confirm which type(s) you have. It will tell you nothing about who got what when.

You originally asked 7 weeks ago. By now, you both probably have antibodies, even if you both had brand new infections at the time of your question.

There is a test called the IgM test which is designed to look for "new" antibodies. The issue with that test for herpes is that it's totally unreliable, and you can't depend on those results. Also, at 7 weeks, those "new" antibodies wouldn't be present at 7 weeks.

If you were visually diagnosed, a blood test might help determine if that was a correct diagnosis, but the hsv1 blood test misses 30% of infections, so it's not foolproof. If she hasn't taken a test at all yet, she can take one to find out if she has it at all.

If you both have it, you may never know how you got it. The blood tests will never prove if someone cheated.
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