Short Story / Long Story: I Know I Have HSV - Now What?

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Short-Story: I'm 99% certain I have HSV (with my luck it'll be HSV2). Test comes back in two days. I can only be upset with myself. I'm really depressed and, surprise, feel like my life is over.

Long-Story: My ex abruptly broke up with me mid-April. I was a mess afterward because things were good / no closure and he wouldn't speak to me at all. I went on a Tinder swiping binge to take my mind off it and rebounded wrecklessly. I had unprotected sex with three people (one I'm completely ashamed to have been with and now suspect I got something from him (he had a lot going on)... one that was a nice guy but wasn't going anywhere... and one I was legitimately interested in before this whole mess). For as long as I've been sexually active, I've gotten a UTI or BV every time I have a new partner, and then Gina calms down. So this summer - with the binging - I kept getting BV, taking meds, that would then give me a yeast infection from killed bacteria. Then my ex and I started talking again (read: having sex again). Also, he had unprotected sex with 3-5 people between this time. Anyway, we had really rough sex five days in a row and Gina was so swollen and torn to pieces. So we took a break for a day (read: a ton of oral sex). My vagina started burning and got tons of discharge, and figured it was just Gina being Gina.

THEN... The next day (Monday - 5 days ago) I went into the emergency department with the worst pain in my swollen groin lymph node (and obviously torn up inside Gina). No fever or feeling ill. In the end, they told me UTI and yeast infection, and suspected PID. (P.S. They ran labs and I was neg for gonn/clam.) They sent me on my merry way with antibiotics and yeast infection pills (I felt dumb). Also, no itching or tingling. The next day I went to the doc (Gina not looked at) who said I had no UTI. Went to visit my family, felt a pinch on Gina when I stood up. (I have "fluffy" lady bits, so that's not irregular for me. It gets caught in clothes sometimes.) When I got home I looked at it, and it was a sore that looked like a scab was ripped off, so I thought was an ingrown hair). I am a picker and tried to pop it (clear liquid) and really messed it up big time. (Did I mention I'm dumb?) Next morning, I had SIX more sores on outer labia / the moist part between outer labia and the fluffy inner labia. Go to the doc again, highly stressed, and she casually says, "I'll take a look and should be able to tell if it's herpes. If I can't tell or they look suspicious, I'll swab." She takes a look and only says, "Okay... so I'm going to swab and we'll do blood work." She gives me antivirals and the orange-pee meds. (Those didn't help the burning pee.)

Over the course of the week (it is now Saturday), I've been taking antibiotics two times per day, yeast infection pills (one every 3 days for a total of three pills), antivirals three times per day and the orange-pee stuff three times per day. I'm a walking pill container. All sores broke open, all with oozy, yellow scabs except the one I messed with being an unhealing ulcer of pain... I've called my doc every day waiting on results and am annoying to them, I'm sure. I've been crying nonstop and look at the sores every 15 minutes. I've taken tons of pictures just to keep checking them up close (all with angry red boarders). I talked to my mom about it all, and she reacted like I told her I have AIDs and said a bunch of shame-y stuff. I felt worse than ever.

My ex got blood tested (no symptoms) and came back negative. (P.S. He's been mega supportive and great through all this. He still thinks I'm sexy and was being ultra horny with my today. Which is sweet, but no way I'd have sex without test results, with these awful sores present, and feeling like my self-confidence has plummeted.) No word on the one guy I was dating's blood results. He is furious and won't speak to me again, which hurts but I can't fault him.

My results will come in two days, but I already know with this many of the telltale signs... I'm in pieces. I was careless; I feel disgusting; I feel like no one will be with me again and won't risk getting this; I am terrified I'll pass it on; I am devastated I likely won't have a vaginal birth when I do have kids (something I always wanted). I feel like my - previously passionate/kinky - sex life is over. (I know I shouldn't, but I put a lot of my self-worth in sex and it's my main 'love language.') I was already a mess with the breakups, inpatient stay previously, unresolved rape issues, moving across the state...

I'm also angry and want to know where I got it. Honestly, it's likely guy-I'm-ashamed-of or an EXTREMELY late expression of HSV1 from my other ex of 10-years (he got cold sores) or an extremely late expression after a rape years and years ago. If one of the latter, no clue why it'd just appear now, I've been way more stressed before (to trigger it, I mean). If what I read about symptoms appearing 2-14 days after exposure and ex's negative results, it has to be nice-guy-going-nowhere or won't-talk-to-me-again-guy, right? I also read blood tests without symptoms are unreliable. So I'm also a little worried my ex does have it and it isn't detectable levels of antibodies if he also recently got it. Why does this worry me? Well, I hope he doesn't have in general, but also - remember all that oral sex I mentioned - one spot on my lip has been super tingly all day today... and I will not cope with having oral and genital HSV.

I just don't even know anymore. I've looked at too many genital herpes pictures and read too many stories... I can't think about anything else. I feel so low. I just don't have any will anymore.

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  • Posted

    And after my vagina sores started healing finally, I'm pretty sure I'm getting new ones on the back of my thigh where it was itching earlier today. This is proving what I was worried about: the antivirals aren't going to help and/or I'm going to get back-to-back outbreaks. 😢

  • Edited

    I don't know if I'm going crazy or what. But the back of my thighs are itching everywhere. I'm terrified I'll wake up with bumps / sores all over.

    • Edited

      its possible. your immune system is probably low because of all stress around this + antibiotics!

      im sure that i-f its herpes-, it will calm down once you accepted it more and when you are more healthy/less other medication.

  • Posted

    Just updating for anyone biting nails like I am...

    They said I'd have results last Friday (tested last Tuesday). Friday they told me to call back Monday. Monday they said they have the results, but the doctor has to go over with me. She never called. (I called last night before they closed as well as this morning). Honestly, kind of annoyed they aren't following up on something this important and causing me so much stress.

  • Posted

    Blood test for HSV1 and HSV2 came back negative. Doctor is waiting on the culture.

    I know the blood can be negative if it was a new exposure, but still have HSV. I don't want to get my hopes up yet, but if this isn't herpes I want to know what in the world these sores are from and, also, I'll upload pics because I found it really hard to find sores that looked like mine online and maybe it could help other people in the future.

    • Posted

      I'm also waiting for my results at the moment.

      I have a possible outbreak since Sunday, it started with just a red spot next to my vagina entrance, it feels a little painful, so I went to a doctor on Monday morning. The doctor said it was just a pimple and told me not to worry. I went back home and I found some yellowish discharge which doesn't smell, (note that I had UTI last Friday so I took antibiotics that make my pee yellow/green and I believe I'm ovulating ), I didn't think it's a big deal but I still went to a sexual health clinic just to make sure everything is fine. The doctor took a look at my genital and pressed my lower lymph which feels painful, she told me I might have herpes so I also did a culture test and blood test, and the result will not be ready after 2 weeks.

      I was in shock and in denial, but I still follow the instruction and took the prescription antiviral. After that more and more bumps came out, so my boyfriend and I started to be worry. Yesterday, the bumps started to break with white/yellowish pus, and it's so painful to even walk or sit. And I feel my lower lymph is getting more painful too.

      I am worried sick and I'm still in school, the antiviral medication makes me super tired and sleepy, I cannot focus on my assignment which dues next week. Also, i love my boyfriend so much and am worried that I might pass it to him, or worry that the disease will affect our relationship. I'm even afraid to kiss him because I don't know which type of herpes I may have 😦

      2 weeks is too long to wait for, I'm super anxious now:(

    • Posted

      That is such a long time... I hope it turns out well for you.

      I am really hoping that my lymph node swelling was caused by the yeast infection / PID situation, which I read can also cause the swelling. My lymph node swelling went down considerably after the anitibiotic shot at the hospital. It was still tender the next day, but I didn't notice it unless I pushed it hard. I have 1 more week (out of two) for my pill antibiotics.

      My torn apart vagina, major internal swelling, etc. all went down over the course of the week. I'm hoping it was the antibiotics and not the antivirals (because antivirals working would mean it is herpes...).

      After the initial bumps that I messed with, I didn't get any additional ones. Not sure if that means anything or not.

      Even if the results come back negative for the culture, I'm not sure I'll be fully convinced and might want PCR. I read blood testing can show negative if done too early and that viral cultures can miss it as well. (Though she really dug into a big, open ulcer for the swab. And it was within 48 hours of the sore appearing.)

      It's all just very stressful waiting on results, and then not even having 100% confidence that those results are accurate.......

    • Posted

      Yes, it is really hard and it is ridiculous that we can't even fully trust the result...

      I hope you are healthy after all.

      My biggest concern right now it's if my partner have it or not and if it's affecting our relationship. He believes I'll be fine and it is only some bumps from a waxing that I did earlier or a really bad pimple outbreak. I hope he's right, because I really don't want to deal with a virus for my whole life...

  • Posted

    Update: HSV1 genitally.

  • Posted

    Also, my ex now has an outbreak on his nose. So I likely got it from him orally. His blood was negative and he said he hasn't had any symptoms though. So I don't know if he has HSV1 genitally as well, and it's making me not want to go down on him.

    I'm really disappointed overall.

    • Posted

      if you both have hsv1 you arent going to transmit more hsv to eachother anymore.

      you have antibodies now so it is highly unlikely youll get it anywere else! but not uncommon!

      herpes is really very common! try not to let it stop you from living 😃

      if your looking for a good resource

      www.herpes.org.uk or the stdproject

      instagram and youtube have some good people to follow also 😃

    • Posted

      Thanks for sharing! I just mean I definitely have it genitally. And he probably has it orally. Ideally, he doesn't give it to me orally and I don't give it to him genitally.

  • Posted

    Thought I would share pictures since I had such a hard time finding anything online that looked like mine. This was Day 1 and 2.

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  • Posted

    Then after they all popped (Day 2)

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    Then starting to scab over (excuse the yeast infection / PID nonsense).

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