Herpes?

Posted , 5 users are following.

I broke with my partner (we later got back together) and during that time had sex with a girl about a month and a half ago. I pushed in several times before putting on a condom but had one on the rest of the time. She contacted me a few weeks later telling me I should get tested because I may have something (I know I didn't have herpes beforehand). She said she had some symptoms like red bumps, no itching of pain. Her results came back negative and apparently a specialist saw her and it came back the same. I then saw no reason to get tested but got a cut along my frenulum while masturbating. anyway I had sex with my partner that exacerbated the cut and again a couple days later unprotected that made it worse than that.. This seemed like a simple cut that I stupidly made worse. I then put coconut oil on it for a few days and I noticed three small blisters around my shaft. Not in a cluster but within a couple centimeters while erect. Anyway I punctured them and doused myself with apple cider vinegar for a couple days and it all seems to be healing. What do you think? I have had an ingrown hair once or twice many years ago but am worried that I may have herpes

0 likes, 54 replies

54 Replies

Next
  • Posted

    Hard to say. Best thing would have been to have had the blisters swab tested for herpes. That's not possible now, so the next best thing is the IgG test. If you are concerned you had it all along, then you can test any time. If you fear you were exposed during that encounter, then test at 3+ months.

    • Posted

      Unless I picked it up not through sex, I don't think I could have had it all along. From that encounter is the only thing I could imagine but the girl had an outbreak of "red spots" no itching or pain and tested negative during the outbreak and again later. It cleared up with an anti fungal cream for her so I'm just not seeing it. 

      I did receive a handjob once where someone was sucking my balls and gave me a bit of a hickey besides my genital area that itched for a few days, but I have otherwise had no other sexual encounters.

      I was scheduled to have an appointment Tuesday, but your saying less than three months is not worth it unless I have active symptoms?

    • Posted

      If she tested negative, then you should be fine, since you are only concerned about that encounter. If you are still worried, however, the next best test after the swab test is the IgG antibody test, which is conclusive at 3+ months. You can also test now if you like (for benchmark purposes, if nothing else), but it won't conclusively cover that encounter.

      Some doctors will say that they can test for recent infections using the IgM antibody test, but that is a flawed test prone to inaccuracies, so it is not advised by the CDC and doctors in the know (sadly a minority, it would seem). You can Google that yourself. So, yeah, it's swab test with lesions, or IgG at 3+ months without lesions.

    • Posted

      Thanks. It was just the one encounter. It just seemed like a strange set of coincidences that had me worried again.
    • Posted

      Despite what some people may have personally experienced, the swab test is still the best test for herpes when lesions are present. If the lesions are fairly new and adequately swabbed, the test should pick it up in most cases. Just fyi and to allay your fears.
  • Posted

    I'm positive for hsv 1 in the genital area. I have been swabbed and it came back negative and then swabbed again the next week and it came back positive. If she had symptoms that looked and felt like herpes then I'd be thinking it was. Herpes is a skin infection that is incredible at hiding. The reason it can't be cured at this point is because it appears and then vanishes until the next breakout. I'd be cautious if I was you. Watch yourself closely and if anything happens head straight to a doctor. Unfortunately there are false positives and false negatives all the time.

    2 in 3 people have hsv 1 and a few less than that have hsv 2. Unfortunately because it's so good at hiding, unless you are either abstinent or you and your partner have only ever done anything sexual (including kissing) with each other it is pretty easy to catch.

    • Posted

      She said it didn't feel like anything and that it was just the set of red bumps. I have an appointment to get tested Tuesday but am unsure what good it would do as the cut and the three blisters that popped up are on the mend and it hasn't been quite two months. 

      I can't seem to find any other reason for me to have gotten blisters. I had gotten the cut but had sex a few more times in the following days which got increasingly painful (as is logical with a cut on my frenulum.

       

      So is the test a waste of time at this point?

    • Posted

      Two months *can* detect HSV IgG antibodies, but the test cannot be said to be conclusive, because some people (though not many) don't seroconvert until 2-3 months. So, you can still test now, just take note of the above. Can be handy for benchmark purposes as well.

      It really doesn't sound like herpes, though. Assuming she told you the truth, she tested negative twice (by swab?), plus her red dots cleared up with antifungal cream, and you didn't observe anything on yourself for well over a month.

      Also, you can't claim to not have had herpes before unless you have tested negative for it before, as many people don't realise they carry it. Herpes (both types) is more often asymptomatic than not. Just saying.

    • Posted

      My only other sexual partner had tested negative and neither of us had had an outbreak of any sort until myself, so unless I was born with it and it was dormant for these past many years I'd assume it would be from this one time encounter. I had to miss my previous appointment because of work but am going to try to get tested today. I have had some increased skin sensitivity too, and passing itchiness this past weekend, and this cut is just taking a long time to heal entirely. My frenulum in the area next to my cut looks to be a bit inflamed slightly. I was outside all weekend and although I'm not a slob after going to the bathroom some urine dripped out after I tucked myself away which may have been irritating as I made my way though the day. Anyway the neosporin had been helping but a three day sabbatical may have been the wrong choice until it completely healed. If this isn't herpes i really don't know what it could be. could I have gotten something that infected me besides herpes from having sex with an open cut with my regular partner? On the whole everything is healing up but for the life of me I need some sense of closure either way. If I had gotten the two tests done that came back negative I'd feel great but because she got them and not me I am still very worried. Plus her fungal infection or whatever would not be showing up on me a month and a half or two months later.

    • Posted

      It could be something else, definitely. What exactly, though, I don't know. Better a doctor tell you that, especially if you've still got something to examine. Still don't think her symptoms sound like herpes.

    • Posted

      Neither did he but he took a blood sample anyway. I'm trying not to get my hopes up. He felt it was related to the cut and that it wasn't anything to be concerned about. It's all healing but not as fast as I'd like and peace of mind will be worth the couple hundred dollars either way.

    • Posted

      IgG? How many weeks from the encounter? What was your score? How did you test for HSV1?
    • Posted

      I have herpes 2 igg test with a score of 4. The encounter was two months and one week ago 
    • Posted

      Is it possible my partner has had it all along? I'm really reeling

    • Posted

      That's silly, of course she didn't. That woman got two negative tests back and the percentage of me getting it was so low according to the websites she had no sores or anything at the time.

    • Posted

      Any history of cold sores? Assuming it was the HerpeSelect test and as your test result stands, yes, it seems like you have it, which is very unlucky if so, since you only had sex the one time and barely any of it was unprotected. I know condoms don't fully protect, but still. Sorry to hear that.

    • Posted

      I have none, my partner gets eczema but that's it. I've been healthy til now

    • Posted

      So, you think you got it from your regular partner instead of that single encounter? Guess the next thing is to have your gf test for HSV2 IgG as well..
    • Posted

      Not silly. It can and does happen. Long term discordant couples, then years later the negative partner suddenly gets it.
    • Posted

      Her ex cheated but it's been 7 years since they had sex and I've been with her almost the entire time having regular sex

    • Posted

      Still possible. How did the woman from the encounter test? By swab or blood?
    • Posted

      Unsure, I assume swab as she got two negatives and if she had it it was from a previous partner.
    • Posted

      Negative swab is reliable. Negative IgG is not, because it could mean a recent infection. Negative IgM is never reliable. Just fyi.
    • Posted

      Negative swab from presumed lesions, I mean. Might be an idea to ask how she was tested.
    • Posted

      I'll ask and see. I've had sex with my regular partner with this infection  and many times since getting this apparently. I'm clueless about my next steps. 

    • Posted

      Does my score number of 4 indicate I've had it longer than a couple months? Although I risked everything I wish I could save my relationship. She gets eczema, yeast infections and such with lots of itchiness but had never had blisters or anything. I think she's had blood work done in the past and thought she mentioned not having herpes which had me taken by surprise at the time; and look at me now what a kicker.

    • Posted

      4 is a medium positive, so could be indicative of a 2-month-old infection. You'd expect it to be even higher at 3-4 months, if that were the case. Your partner's frequent yeast infections are potentially suspect, but could also be nothing. It's all a bit confusing, but at least you only have two partners that it could have come from. That should make it easier.

    • Posted

      She had a swab test that came back and said the antibacterial lotion made it go away but it did itch a bit near the end.
    • Posted

      The swab came back negative
    • Posted

      I've had sex numerous times since with my regular partner, is there a good chance she hasn't gotten it?

    • Posted

      If the other woman is telling the truth, and if your test result is legit and you've never been with anyone else, then that would suggest you got it from your partner. If the other woman is not telling the truth and you got it from her, then you are highly infectious at the moment, since new infections shed most in the first few months to a year. Male to female transmission is also higher than vice versa, so..

    • Posted

      Thanks, I believe her. I'll just see. i had the cut but the blisters didn't come until after I had sec a couple times further. 

    • Posted

      More sex with your partner presumably, and while you had a cut, so a vulnerable entry point for the virus. Ask your gf to test. Does she know about your blisters, etc.?

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.