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Confused about when I got infected...help?

Posted , 3 users are following.

nicole78619
nicole78619

I have recently had my first primary outbreak of GH (only just recovered from the intial outbreak) , but I am confused as to when and how I may have been infected. I have read that when you have a first severe outbreak that means you have only just recently been infected, but I have also read that you can have had it for years without experiencing any outbreak? If that is the case why have I suddenly had a severe first break out from nowhere, is this possible? Should I not have had these severe symptom close to the time of the infection being passed on to me if it was something I had harboured inside of me and was triggered. 

I suspect that I have only just contracted it from my current partner who I have been having monogamous sex with for over 8 months (perhaps he didnt know he had it?). I have not had any other partner but him during this time. Is this a fair deduction? Please sombody help me shed light on this..! help

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Nicki.J
    Nicki.J nicole78619

    Posted

    I'm with you on this! I got it 4 months ago, or so i thought unless i had already had it and did not know. but i got married last May and have been in a relationship with him for 3 years. Neither of us cheat so unless he had it before me and didn't know, i'm not sure how i got it either.
    • nicole78619
      nicole78619 Nicki.J

      Posted

      Thanks for your response Nicki, I have just been so confused recently. just want a little clarity.
  • FelizCastus
    FelizCastus nicole78619

    Posted

    It doesn't pass with every sex act (depends on whether it's shedding), so you could have gotten it from your partner just recently.
    • nicole78619
      nicole78619 FelizCastus

      Posted

      Thank you for giving me a little clarity! My symptoms have been classic for a primary outbreak, I have never experienced anything like this before, and I believe my boyfriend was not feeling too well himself when we had sex two weeks ago, and suddenly I had this severe first time outbreak. from everything I have read online I didnt see anything gave clarity on time of infection and the correlation between how severe an outbreak can be. It just didnt make sense to me to have harboured something from a previous ex then years later I have a severe outbreak? 

      could you shed a little bit of light on what you mean by shedding?

      thanks again for the response!

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus nicole78619

      Posted

      Hsv remains in the body for life, but it reactivates every now and then and makes its way to the surface about 30% of the time (an average for genital hsv2 only, so varies by type, infection site, recency of infection and individual). This is known as viral shedding. Viral shedding may occur with symptoms (outbreak/recurrence), or none or next to none at all (asymptomatic shedding). Hsv is contagious when shedding, regardless of symptoms, but even more so with symptoms. Most new infections are nevertheless acquired from a person who was asymptomatically shedding the virus at the time. Shedding of the virus occurs from genital mucosal skin (vagina, cervix, anus, penis), regardless of lesions or where outbreaks usually occur. Lesions elsewhere also shed the virus, but intact regular skin does not shed the virus.
    • nicole78619
      nicole78619 FelizCastus

      Posted

      One last question, is it possible to have mild to no sympotoms  for a while and then suddenly have a severe first time outbreak? does that happen to people? is that why they suggest that people harbour it over years?
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus nicole78619

      Posted

      I believe it is possible to have a mild and mistaken first outbreak, then what is perceived to be a bad "first" outbreak years later due to a life change, like pregnancy, illness, surgery, major stress, menopause, etc.
    • nicole78619
      nicole78619 FelizCastus

      Posted

      Hmmm I see, the time that I have had this severe outbreak, I cant say I was under much stress, I just came back from holiday and was rather content. I have had moments of stress and bad diet choices prior to this but no outbreak. it just seems so completely random.

      Hopefully I am not pregnant I guess...

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus nicole78619

      Posted

      Sometimes it really can be quite random! But I suspect you only recently contracted it from your partner.
    • nicole78619
      nicole78619 FelizCastus

      Posted

      I suspect so too...but we have had many occaisons when we have had unprotected sex for the past 8 months. Its all just a little confusing as to why I am having this outbreak now? 
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus nicole78619

      Posted

      HSV-2 transmission rates from male to female are 10% per *year* (not per sex act) if outbreaks are avoided and nothing else done. That is the stat for long-term, hetero, monogamous, discordant couples. Higher for those with new infections, new couples, etc. But as you can see, it is not 90% or something crazy like that, therefore it's possible to avoid infection for months or longer. Shedding only occurs on ~25% of days on average, not all year round (thankfully!). So, it's kinda like Russian roulette and whether you remain lucky enough to dodge the H bullet, lol.
    • nicole78619
      nicole78619 FelizCastus

      Posted

      Oh that makes so much sense!! thank you so much for giving me clarity on this! 
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