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Not genital herpes?

Posted , 3 users are following.

b35661
b35661

I went to the doctor a couple of days ago with open sores on my vagina and she confidently told me I had genital herpes. She did a swab of the sores as well as a blood test. A couple days later she called me and told me I came back negative for all Std's as well as herpes. How is this possible? All of my symptoms were that of herpes, besides the fact this all happened very fast in the span of a week and I've read that a herpes first outbreak usually lasts for a month. If not herpes what else could have been going on with me?

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • h79
    h79 b35661

    Posted

    The bloos test takes about 3 months after infection for the antibodies to show and for you to test positive, so if you recently contracted it, and the sores were just present for the first time you won't even test positive via the blood test for about 3 months. Additionally, even if she tested via swab, unless she got the virus when it was actually active they won't test positive.

    Also, herpes doesn't necessarily last a month. My first OB ever lasted less than a week and was one sore that looked like a pimple. My last OB (have had a little over a year now) lasted 2 days.

    Even though you tested negative, I would act as you are positive for the next few months (meaning no unprotected sex and notifying partners that you possibly might be positive) and then go back in 3 months and retest. One thing I have learned about this insidious virus is that it is a contagious virus (although the chances of spreading aree about 4% annually with regular sex with the same partner), but I got it after a ten second genital encouter with a guy I didn't even have sex with (stopped us before we started), so that gives you an indication of how contagious it can be. 

    1 in 4 women have it, but only about 10% of those know that they have it due to no symptoms or mild symptoms (thinking it is an ingrown hair or a pimple).

    • b35661
      b35661 h79

      Posted

      So if I go back in a couple months and I test positive does that mean that my partner I've been with for one year cheated on me since I just contracted it? Or could it still have been manifested in me and just had an outbreak for the first time?
    • h79
      h79 b35661

      Posted

      No not at all. Rather your partner could have had it for the year that you have been with him and he happened to be an asymptomatic carrier and you engaged in sexual actions of some sort during a time when he was shedding. 

      Another thought is that if you partner has cold sores on his mouth, or is a carrier for HSV 1 and you had oral sex, he has given you herpes this way as well (it still would take time for the antibodies to build to become evident in a test). I am also not sure if the swab test actually tests for HSV 1. He could also be an asymptomatic carrier for HSV 1 and wouldn't know he had it, and performed oral during a time he was asymptomatically shedding. The good thing about HSV 1, is while you still are now a carrier for genital herpes HSV1, apparently the OBs are less (maybe once a  year or once every few years), and while it is still contagious, it is apparently harder to pass on.

      There is a possibility that he could have cheated, that is always possible (but I definitely would not go there as I don't think most people are cheaters, but this is my naivete), but if that is something that you suspect and you have reason to think so, then if he did and he just caught it, he also wouldn't test positive for the three months. YOu could always have a conversation with him about your diagnosis, and that 90% of the people who have it don't know that they are carriers and ask if he could get tested (for both HSV 1 and 2). 

      With that being said, even if he comes back negative (given the chance that you mentioned that you think that there is a possibility of cheating) I would still go and get retested in 3 months and ask for IgG ests for HSV1 and HSV 2.

  • cartercali
    cartercali b35661

    Posted

    you should defintely count your blessings .. 

    if your swab tests came back negative just be thankful..

    you couldve had thursh or something ..

    some people dont have symptoms they just get bumps ..

    and some people do .

    it just all differs 

    what kind of things were you going through?

    • b35661
      b35661 cartercali

      Posted

      It started as soreness around my vagina and then bumps came and then they turned into open sores that were very painful, especially when I urinated. That's when I went to the doctor. Then they turned into giant pimple looking things, with white heads on them. Now they're healing.
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