Can you tell if exposure was recent?

[anonymous]

I had a suspected HSV 2 outbreak recently. One week after sex with a new partner, I experienced vaginal swelling, flu symptoms, discomfort when urinating, and swollen groin glands. Something akin to two blisters emerged four or five days later, although they didn’t look like the HSV ulcers – they looked like pimples and they faded away rather than scabbing over. They did not hurt. It lasted about 1-2 weeks. I have never experienced anything like this before.

I tested negative for all other STDs. I tested for HSV twice with swabs taken from the blisters from two different medical professionals. The blisters were not “fresh” – the first test was about 2 days after they had first appeared (five days after the other symptoms) and the second test was a week later. Both tests came back negative. I have not had a blood test for antibodies, this was not offered.

In the 6-8 weeks since, I’ve had swelling and one pimple / spot flare up again after sex. I took acyclovir straight away and it was a very mild experience.

The doctors testing me seemed to give me the all clear based on my negative results. But I feel unsure after doing more research, my symptoms seem to match HSV and there were no suggestions offered for what else it could be. I read that the swab is the most effective test. Can I trust the swab results that say I’m negative, should I confirm with bloodwork?

If I do have HSV, I also want to know, is there a way to tell if the outbreak is fresh or emerged after lying dormant for a long time?

I recently started up sex with a new partner. Prior, I had three sexual partners over eight years (long-term relationships) all of whom were STD-free to my knowledge.

My most recent ex, re-tested negative for HSV. In two years together, with rough and aggressive sex, I never experienced any outbreaks. But, the new partner has also tested negative, disproving that it came from him.

Given that I knew the sexual history of the other partners, and the “outbreak” showed up exactly one week after sex with the new partner, I am inclined to believe his bloodwork is wrong and it did come from him.

Or could this really have been lying dormant for years and only appear now? I find it hard to understand why it would appear now, when I have not been under any extra special stress, life shifts, or lack of sleep. In the past I have been way unhealthier (poor sleep cycles and high levels of stress from job) and had very aggressive sex, which surely would have triggered an outbreak if it had been dormant all along?

[Terri Warren]

well, there are a few possibilities here. Since you have had no antibody testing done, we don’t know if you might have had herpes for years and didn’t know it. Rough sex may or may not have triggered an outbreak, that is not a given. You need a type specific IgG antibody test. A swab test taken from a lesion a couple of days after it appeared would likely be positive, but not always. A PCR is far more sensitive than a culture, do you know which one was used for the swab test? See if you can find out.

If the new partner had recently been infected with HSV 2, his blood work may not be accurate, correct. Did you actually see the blood work of these people? Do you know if it was an IgG or IgM test? Only IgG should be used.

It is also possible that the lesion could be HSV 1, was everyone tested for that? If you are tested, it should be for both HSV 1 and 2. Have you ever had a cold sore on your lip?

Another option of course is that it isn’t herpes at all.

Terri

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