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STDs (Expert Forum)
can i be sure i dont have herpes?
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum is for questions and support regarding STD issues such as: Chlamydia, Crabs (pubic lice scabies), Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (viral), Herpes, HPV, Molluscum Contagiosum, PID, Rectal Infections, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis, Warts, Yeast Infection.All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.
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can i be sure i dont have herpes?
by need to get this out of my head, Dec 01, 2005 12:00AM
This summer i went to the gyno for the first time with what i thought was a bad yeast infection. He said it could be a yeast infection but there was a possibilty for herpes. He did a culture and a week later it came back negative. I had no problems then three months later i had the same symptoms. Itching burning irritation. I went to the doctor again he checked me and said that everything was fine i had nothing to worry about, it was just a yeast infection and he gave me a topical which i use but not as frequently as directed. Its been over a month and i still dont feel completely healed. And then just yesterday there was a little tiny cut at the top of my labia(i think..like the out lips). It has pretty much healed over a day but im still scared. Ive never had a blister or anything but the cut scares me. Do you think i really dont have a need for concern?
Then secondly ive never had sex with anyone. And ive only had oral sex preformed twice. Also i have had cold sores on my mouth since i was a little girl. Do you think i could have given it to myself when i was little by touching a cold sore and then touching myself? And thirdly ive never had sex but one time i rubbed up on someone naked. He had no symptoms and i asked and he said he doesnt have herpes. so my specific questions are:
1) do you think the cut is something to be nervous about?
2) could i have gotten herpes from oral sex if i have had cold sores since i was a kid?
3) do you think i gave myself herpes as a young kid and is just now having syptoms?
ok that is all. Sorry it is long. its just i think about it all the time and i know you cant tell me for sure but you can answers these questions that will maybe help clear my mind.
Then secondly ive never had sex with anyone. And ive only had oral sex preformed twice. Also i have had cold sores on my mouth since i was a little girl. Do you think i could have given it to myself when i was little by touching a cold sore and then touching myself? And thirdly ive never had sex but one time i rubbed up on someone naked. He had no symptoms and i asked and he said he doesnt have herpes. so my specific questions are:
1) do you think the cut is something to be nervous about?
2) could i have gotten herpes from oral sex if i have had cold sores since i was a kid?
3) do you think i gave myself herpes as a young kid and is just now having syptoms?
ok that is all. Sorry it is long. its just i think about it all the time and i know you cant tell me for sure but you can answers these questions that will maybe help clear my mind.
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Dec 01, 2005 12:00AM
, Dec 01, 2005 12:00AM
You need to ask your provider to send a blood specimen for a type-specific herpes blood test, which will show whether you have ever been infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1, 2, both, or neither. HSV-2 is extremely unlikely, since you have not had genital intercourse. If your history of cold sores is accurate, you can expect your HSV-1 test to be positive; but in that case, you are immune from catching genital infection with HSV-1. So the bottom line is that it is unlikely your symptoms were due to herpes. Anyway, have the blood test, then come back to the forum if you still have concerns or uncertainties.
In the meantime, the answers to your questions are 1) Probably not, see above--but see an STD-knowledgeable health care provider if the "cut" persists or recurs. 2) No; see above. 3) No; autoinoculation of HSV from one part of the body to another is very rare.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
In the meantime, the answers to your questions are 1) Probably not, see above--but see an STD-knowledgeable health care provider if the "cut" persists or recurs. 2) No; see above. 3) No; autoinoculation of HSV from one part of the body to another is very rare.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Not necessarily
2) could i have gotten herpes from oral sex if i have had cold sores since i was a kid?
Probably unlikely but this person could (again unlikely) have HSV 2 in the mouth
3) do you think i gave myself herpes as a young kid and is just now having syptoms? again unlikely, since you would have antibodies
If I were you, I would get a herpeselect test for IgG HSV 1 and 2 only. If you have cold sores, you will probably come up positive (over 1.1) for HSV 1 and most likely negative for 2.
Some bad yeast infections could cause such irritation, suppose you could get a tiny tear.
Sure you are ok ;)
Before you begin to have sex, educate yourself. This site can be used as a very informative tool. Just make sure you always protect yourself, no matter how intimate the moment may be. Now wait for the docs comment, which i feel will relieve your anxiety further. Take care, and quit worrying.
In the event that you have had coldsores in the past, they would most likely be attributed to HSV1. However, there is the small percentage of chance 2-3% that they could be attributed to HSV2.
In the event that you have never had sex, but you have had oral sex performed on you, you would run the small risk of the person who performed the oral sex on you from carrying HSV2 orally.
Most oral lesions are never virally cultured and are always assumed to be caused by HSV1 however, unless an Outbreak was cultured, one would be guessing. So in saying that, the 2-3% figure of oral HSV2 figures quoted in a recent Medscape article may be flawed.
If you tested negative to a HSV2 blood test, it is possible that your body has not had enough time to produce antibodies to show up in the blood test. If you had the cut, cultured, it is possible that it was a false negative result.
Give yourself a few more weeks and go back for another blood test to check for HSV2 or in the event that you get another cut, have it virally cultured if you haven't already.