Newly diagnosed, wondering about the source

If this is a new infection, you can prove it by doing an HSV-1/2 IgG antibody blood test *now*, while you are still having the outbreak.

Do *not* do the IgM test, as it is worthless for HSV, and cannot determine type or recency of infection, no matter what anyone tells you.

If you test negative for both by IgG, then you didn't have it until this outbreak. If positive, then it is an infection from sometime before (but when exactly cannot be proven).

HSV antibodies take a minimum of 2 weeks to *possibly* show up by IgG, so don't delay, if this is something you want to prove. You can re-test at 3-4 months to compare the difference.

You can also do a viral culture or DNA/PCR swab of your lesions. A culture requires new lesions for highest accuracy, while PCR is more accurate yet and can test older lesions as well. Make sure to establish HSV type.

Just because your HSV is in the genital region, that does not mean you necessarily have Type 2. It could be Type 1. Type is very important to confirm, as there are different implications for each.

it sure seems likely that you got it in your recent unprotected encounter. Its realky hard to be definitive though. I am struggling with pinpointing the source of my infection too.

I am trying to get to the zen attitude of "it doesnt matter". But i am not there yet

As strange as it sounds. Yes, you could've had it and didn't know. There's no way in telling how long you've had it, or who you got it from. Unless they told you before hand. Hsv2 as I was told. Can stay dormant for years and you have no symptoms, if you get tested it can come back negative.

I don't know you, or know how you feel. But when I first got it, I thought my life was over, I would cry my self to sleep every night, I felt dirty & questioned myself "How did I let this happen"

Its been a little over 2 years for me now &I Don't let it bother me any more. It's there, it's never leaving (unless a cure is created) it's apart of me.

Woman to woman. Your not alone. But you can't let it take over you. You'll be miserable if you do.

Thank you all for your responds.

Felis, the doctor said she cannot determine surely before results comes back. But she said it looks like I have type 2 herpes.

I had swab test done and still waiting for results.

After getting the lesion and guessing by its look and symptoms it was herpes, my fiancé had tests done as well. Not really sure about the name of the test but I know he had to pee in a cup..

Anyways, about two hours ago he got he's results and unfortunately he is positive for both type 1 and type 2.

I'm seeing my doctor in two days for further consult and hopefully test results as well.

It wouldn't change my mood much.

I just have a question about what you said, the difference of implications between the two types, do you have a link where I can read more about it? So far I've been looking for info in my language so it's limited. All I've read was related to genital herpes, without mentioning there is any difference etween the two.

For all I ever knew, type 1 was on your face, type 2 on your genitals. So as you can see I'm pretty much clueless..

Thank you all for all the help

I'm so glad I found this forum, makes me feel a lot more normal about my feelings and it helps a lot.