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Genital Herpes: Useful info for those looking for answers like me!

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FelizCastus
FelizCastus

Ever since I suspected genital herpes (GH) and was recently confirmed to be going through a primary outbreak of HSV-2 (ugh, the "bad" one), I have been researching the topic like crazy! Guess that's a pretty normal thing to do, lol, and I'm sure many others here have done the same.

Anyway, I thought it would be helpful to share everything that I have learnt thus far, and I will continue to add to this thread as I come across more useful, interesting and/or relevant info.

Genital HSV symptoms https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1776485

Testing for HSV https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1776488

Does having one HSV type protect you against the other? https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1776489

Autoinnoculation (self-contagion to other areas) https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1776492

When is genital HSV most contagious? https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1776494

Genital HSV transmission risk https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1776497

Antiviral meds for genital HSV https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1776501

Natural treatments for genital HSV https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1776503

Genital HSV and increased risk of HIV https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1776505

Transmission risk via inanimate objects, swimming and blood https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1778698

Genital herpes and menstruation https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1778703

Genital herpes and BV and yeast infections https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1778708

Is there a vaccine for HSV-1/2? https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1778714

Possible complications of genital herpes https://patient.info/forums/discuss/comment?discussionid=482438&commentid=1782789

88 likes, 535 replies

535 Replies

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  • herpes
    herpes FelizCastus

    Posted

    This was a good discussion.Having herpes is not a big problem.you're having many dating sites on it.Thanks for sharing.
  • Greg6758
    Greg6758 FelizCastus

    Posted

    My hsv igg first time I tested was .28 on November 4 I tested it today 10/9 and its .40 should I be worried with the .12 increase?
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus Greg6758

      Posted

      Do you have reason to suspect HSV? On its own, however, a 0.12 increase over a 4 week period is pretty negligible and nothing to worry about. Best to take that as a good sign and re-test at 3-4 months from possible exposure for reassurance and confirmation. smile
    • Greg6758
      Greg6758 FelizCastus

      Posted

      Hey felis so let me give you more details I'm sorry. I had multiple partners in October/September and tested each month, came back negative. November I had this weird tingly/ icy hot sensation in my groin. Doctor says it's a fungal infection so gave me antifungal medication went away. December it came back and I wanted to test my self too and it came back .40 for my hsv 2 igg I just want to make sure that this increase isn't something I should worry about until next months test
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus Greg6758

      Posted

      Well, the good news is that the fungal meds made it go away, so presumably it was indeed fungal. Did the meds work the second time as well?

      Anything that recurs can make one suspect herpes, though. But if you didn't have any other symptoms, zero bumps or lesions, no swollen lymph nodes, then that's also a good sign. Herpes will usually outbreak by one week from exposure, and a first outbreak usually has lesions of some kind.

      The only thing that can lessen a first outbreak is existing HSV-1. Have you ever had sores?

    • billbob123
      billbob123 FelizCastus

      Posted

      im reading this chat and i hear Greg mentioning that it was .12 and than it came to .40 im lost, is there a way to check how high it is in your blood ect, and it i spossible u can do a home test  of IgG? sorry for bothering u but i have learnt so much in the last two months, im still having outbreaks now at least on my body are under control but my genital area just had  a cluster last sat. Not painful at all but still there which as i told u now im taking 1200 of my suppresive pill.I will reduce back to 800 as soon as i stop feeling any tingling. recently these last two days i have been feeling tigling in my nervous system, like in my thighs, my left one, in my foot, down my spine only for a few seconds.
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus billbob123

      Posted

      The IgG antibody test requires a blood draw, so it has to be done at a clinic. Itonly measures antibodies, which may or may not directly correlate with HSV viral load, but not necessarily with the severity or frequency of outbreaks, since that depends on other aspects of one's immune system. There is no clinical or at-home test for viral load, unfortunately. Such tests are usually reserved for research studies.
  • catia11
    catia11 FelizCastus

    Posted

    Hi - just recenty diagnosed with Genital Herpes HSV-1 - it seemsto me that once tey are genital they act the same as HSV-2 - why did you call HSV-2 "the bad one" ? I would love some reassurance here that what I have got isnt as bad/serious/infectious etc as HSV-2.
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus catia11

      Posted

      If you read through some of the info I posted to this discussion thread, you will see why, but in summary HSV-2 recurs more frequently (average 5-6 times per year versus 0-1 times for HSV-1), is more infectious as a result, and has some undesirable risks/complications (e.g., increases risk of HIV acquisition, but only if exposed, of course; more likely to cause neonatal infection, etc.). Also, it's the "true" STD of the two HSV types. So, yeah, I think it sucks to have Type 2 and you are lucky to have Type 1. If given the choice (and where no other option is given, naturally), I'd pick Type 1!
    • catia11
      catia11 FelizCastus

      Posted

      Thanks FC - thats kind of good news .- is Simplex any less infectious during an OB or when shedding?
    • catia11
      catia11

      Posted

      PS any less infectious than HSV2, I meant.
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus catia11

      Posted

      Good question. Type 2 prefers the genital region, so it is in its element there, more so than Type 1. It sheds more often, but when they both shed, I'm not sure what the difference is between them in terms of infectiousness. I suspect Type 2 is the "stronger", more virulent virus, since Type 2 essentially protects against Type 1, but not vice versa. Need to speak to an actual infectious disease expert to know more about that!
  • ashton_89492
    ashton_89492 FelizCastus

    Posted

    I had unprotected sex about two months ago with someone I was dating. He did not have any signs of herpes, but I had a yeast infection about a month after. I now have numbs on the pubic hair area above my vagina that look like razor burn but they do not hurt. They really don't look nothing like the pictures of herpes I have seen, but I am just a worry wort. I have also gotten yeast infections often since I was about 15. Could I have herpes or am I worry about nothing? I shaved about 4 days in a row which i normally do not do. I was just wondering if these symptoms sound anything like yours when you initially suspected you may have herpes. 
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus ashton_89492

      Posted

      That does not sound like herpes to me. smile Symptoms usually appear within 2-6 days, up to 12-20 days max, not a month.
    • ashton_89492
      ashton_89492 FelizCastus

      Posted

      I get yeast infection often and for some reason it began to worry me. I did not get any sleep last night due to the thought of this. My bumps do not look like herpes at all i was just concerned

       

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