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Contracting confusion

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hbeeh7636
hbeeh7636

I was recently diagnosed with HSV 2.

I'm confused by what I'm reading.

First, I read that many people who have the virus, don't know that they have it but then I also read that symptoms appear within 2 weeks after contact with an affected person.

So, could I have potentially had the virus for months or years and not known it? Or did I contract it within 2 weeks of my first outbreak?

I think it's important to know in order determine who or how far back I should go in contacting sexual partners.

Please help!

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • feelbroken
    feelbroken hbeeh7636

    Posted

    If you have an outbreak w in days to weeks after sexual contact w a new person, it is pretty safe to say it came from that person. I had symptoms w in the same week.
  • hbeeh7636
    hbeeh7636

    Posted

    But if the virus can live I your body and not know it, is there anyway to know how long you've had it?

    We've been together for 2 years and now I've had my first outbreak and been diagnosed. Is it possible that either or both of us had it since a previous relationship and it took this long to have an outbreak?

    • feelbroken
      feelbroken hbeeh7636

      Posted

      The only way to tell if it was a new infection during your first OB, was to take a blood test immediately, as it takes time for antibodies to build up. About 3-6 months... My culture came back positive, but my blood test was negative a week after infection, but was positive 3 months later.

      The people they refer to who have no symptoms, are people who are asymptomatic and never got an OB after they contracted it. If you had a pretty painful OB your first one and took a week or more to go away, that is a primary infection and means newly acquired. As far as exact dates to how long you had it, nothing to tell you that. You can only figure out if it was new, bases on the info I just gave.

      The people who are asymptomatic and then suddenly yrs later may have an OB, have a very mild OB... Like a couple sores and it's not debilitatingly painful.

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