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How long could I have had hsv2 with no symptoms and not passed it on to my wife?

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Brianbelack07
Brianbelack07

I've been married for 2 years. I have never had anOB or thought I had herpes. About 2 months ago I shaved and had a severe rash/folliculitus. Went and had it looked at. Doc said it couldn't be herpes by the way it looked. Said it was spread all over and herpes is generally localized. About 4 days ago I got a cluster dime size rash at the base of my penis. There appears to be 2 sores and nothing seems to be helping it go away. I have been using witch hazel. It's slightly painful but no worse than infected hairs I have gotten before. I'm going to get blood test done. I think it's too late for a Seab. Could I have had hsv2 all this time w no symptoms and due to stress and what not I'm not having my first couple outbreaks? If I do have hsv2 and I never had symptoms how likely is it my wife has t now? How likely is it I have had it so long with no symptoms?

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • kristy_93126
    kristy_93126 Brianbelack07

    Posted

    Folloculitis doesn't always go all over but as far as herpes those spread to if left untreated and folloculitis did you have pimple like area or just red flat area with the hair I've had folloculitis just localized
    • Brianbelack07
      Brianbelack07 kristy_93126

      Posted

      I mean my entire pubic area got razor burn along with the hairs I shaved on the lower part of my penis. Everything was red and had razor burn. Bumps... Some had a raise white head. My glands in my groin swelled up. It was bad. I've had a staph infection before which has cause me trouble with folliculitus ever since. But nothing had ever been this bad in my groin and pubic area. What I'm experiencing now is localized and much smaller... Less painful.
  • FelizCastus
    FelizCastus Brianbelack07

    Posted

    It is possible to have gHSV-2 without (recognised) symptoms for a long time, especially if you already have HSV-1 orally or somewhere (whether with or without symptoms). It is also possible for you not to have passed it onto your wife in all this time, assuming you even have it.

    Herpes does not pass with every sexual encounter and it depends on how often and how much you shed (impossible to know with standard testing), plus the resilience of your wife's immune system.The longer discordant couples remain together, the less likely the negative partner will acquire herpes, studies show.

    Good that you're getting tested. Make sure the blood test is for HSV IgG antibodies, not IgM.

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus Brianbelack07

      Posted

      Both are antibodies, but IgG is the antibody type that persists for life following infection and is the most reliable for herpes testing.

      IgM antibodies can be used to determine new (versus pre-existing) infections in the case of most diseases, as it is a transient, first-responder antibody only, but that can't be done with herpes due to herpes' recurrent nature (recurrences can produce IgM, as well as the initial outbreak). The test cannot therefore determine recency of infection like some doctors wrongly believe.

      Furthermore, and more importantly, the IgM test is not HSV-type specific (it lumps HSV-1 and HSV-2 together) and is generally rather unreliable, so it is neither recommended for confirming/diagnosing herpes nor for determining recency of (herpes) infection.

      Unfortunately, some doctors are not up to speed regarding the above, and the IgM test for herpes is still available when perhaps it shouldn't be, so there are cases when people go to get tested for herpes and end up having the wrong test done that essentially proves nothing. Long explanation! Lol

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