:(

[depressedandsad]

Hi Terri,

Here is my scenario. Late October 2014 I started having herpes symptoms. I was very itchy in my genital area and anus as well. I felt like bugs were crawling from anal opening to vagina. I then developed 2 rigid, itchy bumps on mons pubis. Popped them, and clear fluid came out of them. They were painful when I tried to squeeze the fluid, but when left alone they weren’t painful. It took multiple weeks for them to heal. I also had shooting pain down my left leg. Itchiness has persisted till now. It is not that severe, has decreased through time but it’s still present. Then since November I started to have stinging pain in my vagina. I still have that stinging pain. So the itchiness is still here, not as bad as it was and the stinging pain as well. It’s been like that since late October, but decreasing with time. I know this sounds like herpes, I just don’t know what to do :(. It has been so difficult these months, that’s the only thing I can think about. In the month of may, I also developed many tiny bumps on the part where the ischial tuberosity bone lies. (so on the butt, but I don’t t know the name of that region, I guess the area on the butt where we sit on). These did not develop into blisters. They were just itchy, not painful. It also took them weeks to heal, and now I can see like gray-brownish areas on my butt where the tiny bumps were located. Please tell me what to do. I am just so sad :(.
Thanks for the help.

[depressedandsad]

Hi Terri,

I need to add that the stinging pain is on the vuvla (mons pubis, labia majora, clitoris) and vagina. That’s where the itchiness persist as well. A little clarification on the months: it’s November 2014 and May 2015. Sometimes when I itch, there are red kind of red lines on both sides of the vaginal opening, moving upwards towards labia minora. When I don’t itch, they are not so prevalent. I did the IGG type specific for 1 and 2 from Herpselect but came back negative. There were not numbers on the results, it’s just said negative. I got them through stdcheck.com and I talked to them and they said that’s how they interpret the negative results. Weird. I am however, 99% sure that they have missed the infection. These were done 2 and half years after exposure. I have been tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV. All negative. They also did a Pap smear and came back normal. These tests were done December 2014, again two and a half years after exposure. Nurse practitioner thought it was yeast, but the Pap came back normal. I really doubt it’s yeast. I think it’s herpes along with another STI maybe :(. It’s horrible Terri. I do have a smell coming from vagina as well. It was more severe last summer than now, but it’s still here. I don’t think it’s smells fishy, to me it’s smells like vagina only stronger. That’s the best way I can describe it. Sometimes it’s smells like urine as well.
Thanks again for the help.

[Terri Warren]

I don’t think this sounds like herpes to me. There are several things suggesting that it is not. First, the constant nature of your symptoms. You seem to describe itching that is nearly all the time, and that’s just not how herpes behaves. It is definitely intermittent. Let’s say that the antibody test wasn’t correct: the one it is far more likely to miss is the HSV 1 infection. So let’s say that you have HSV 1 infection and the test missed it. It recurs very infrequently. So that doesn’t fit with near constant symptoms. So even if you had a western blot and it was positive for HSV 1, it wouldn’t mean you had it genitally because your symptoms don’t fit. And then of course there is the matter of the negative antibody test. Also, a pap is not a great test for yeast. Have you tried any yeast medicine over the counter, just to see if it helps?

Have you had the bumps on your tailbone swab tested for herpes? Have you had any of these symptoms swab tested for herpes?

The vaginal odor is also significant. Herpes does not cause a vaginal odor, but other things sure can and you need another opinion about that – perhaps a Planned Parenthood in your area?

Terri

[depressedandsad]

Hi Terri,

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately I haven’t had any of the bumps on the tailbone tested. The nurse practitioner saw them and she said they didn’t look like herpes. Do they sound like herpes from what I have described? If they appear again, I’ll go swab them. Do you think I should go ahead and order the western blot? Do you have any idea what my symptoms may suggest? Can I get HSV or HPV from being fingered? I am not sure if my sexual history will help, but I have only had sex with one guy (boyfriend at the time). We have had unprotected sex and the last time I had was summer of 2011. I have been fingered 2 and a half times. The last guy was summer 2012 and I think he touched his genitals first and then used the same hand and kind of slide his fingers on my thong. We were not naked and he just touched my thong, never penetrated. The other two guys that I was with was late 2010 and beginning 2011. They just fingered me. Can I get an STD through any of my exposures?
Thanks again for the help.

[Terri Warren]

The only contact you could get herpes from is the sex with your regular boyfriend. Manual stimulation of the genitals does not transmit genital herpes.

It is a good thing that the NP did not think your bumps looked like herpes. But yes, if you get them again, you may want to show her when they are new and see if she thinks they should be swab tested.

Terri

[depressedandsad]

Hi Terri,

I just purchased additional questions. So you think none of the encounters could cause herpes but the one with my ex? Regarding the bumps on the tailbone. Let’s say it’s not the first time they appear. If this is the second time they appear would it also take multiple weeks for them to heal and leave sort of “marks” on the place where they were? Could the vaginal odor be due to trich maybe or HPV? I can’t believe something can cause itchiness for such a long time. Associated with pain as well :(. I did try yeast medicine. The NP prescribed fluconazole. It seemed to help with the discharge that I had, but not with the itchiness, cause I do have itchiness on vulva as well.
Thanks again Terri.

[depressedandsad]

I also want to add Terri, when all of these symptoms started occurring in late October, I also had pain in my rib cage area. I was really really exhausted and I couldn’t study a whole lot. I also had back pain, stomachache. I was extremely anxious because first I thought I had HIV, but then as I started reading online I realized my symptoms are more herpes related. I wasn’t sleeping very well, and I was really tired. I lost weight too. I would have never paid for the herpselect tests if I knew back than that they were not reliable :(. My BP was 155. I just hope I don’t have HSV or HPV or trich but I kinda feel like I do. 🙁

[Terri Warren]

Stomach ache and pain in the rib cage area are not related to herpes and usual back pain isn’t either. Odor is not sign of HSV or HPV. Trich or bacterial vaginosis could be associated with the discharge.

No none of the contacts put you at risk for an STD except the unprotected intercourse that you had with your ex partner.

As for the herpes antibody tests, they are really very good for HSV 2. 97% sensitivity is really excellent as tests go. Yes, it does miss some HSV 1 but most people are far more concerned about HSV 2 than HSV 1.

Terri

[depressedandsad]

Thank you Terri for the response.

I was reading online and it said HPV can be transmitted through hand to genital contact. I am not sure if any of my partners had HPV. Also I was considering the possibility that maybe one of them had herpetic whithlow and that’s how I got the virus. I know my ex had one gf before me. She(long term gf) was a virgin when they started dating and she lost her virginity to him. I know she gave performed oral on him as well. Prior to her he had another sexual intercourse with another girl but I am not aware of her status nor do I know if they used protection. While he was dating me, I know when we broke up for a while he was seeing another girl and she performed oral. Afterwards, when I got back with him we had sex and at some point it probably was unprotected. I just want to know how much this puts me at risk for HSV or HPV. Because I don’t know how else to explain the bumps on mons pubis, bottom and stinging pain in vulva and vagina.
Thanks again so much. I will purchase more questions if I need to.

[Terri Warren]

While is conceptually possible that HPV could be transmitted via hands, I would say that is extremely unlikely.
And you say you have the herpes virus but that has definitely not been proven
The oral sex puts you at some risk of HSV 1 infection.
If you are particularly concerned about HSV 1 then I would suggest a western blot.
You seem absolutely convinced that you have some sort of STD so I’m not sure my answering you questions further is going to do any good really.

Terri

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