Confused

[WhatIsIt]

Hi Terri,
An overview. In 2011, I was in a short term relationship with a guy who exposed me to syphillis and chlamydia. I ended that relationship. He was my second real relationship and sadly he lied about his sexual history as well as his std history. Fast forward to now, I have a two year old, and her father and I have been together for 5 years. We have engaged in protected and unprotected sex. And it has been monogamous. We parted and I had a “trusted” friend, well on my end. I made it clear to this friend that I don’t want us to do anything sexual though we have kissed. But this incident happened and now I am wondering if he exposed me to HSV2. I had a night of drinking, head spinning, can’t walk straight and he offered to take me home, while there complaining about my head spinning, he made a move on me to perform oral sex, which he did for about a min or two… while I was telling him to stop. Eventually he did. This event happened on feb2nd, and I did a Pap smear on jan 30th(everything normal). Couple of wks after, I asked him if he was clean of everything and he said yes because I was experiencing some burning sensation and tingling with watery discharge but no lesion that I saw or felt. On March 12, I went to the urgent care and did an iGG test because I had like a sore in my mouth like a cut above my teeth, but thought it was from my daughter hitting me and not hsv related. Note, I have had hsv1 since I was a child. The urgent care called and told me I was positive for both hsv 1 (30.5) and hsv 2(2.56). I was confused cuz I’ve never had an outbreak nor was I ever exposed to my knowledge, my child’s father is negative for both but this man tested positive for hsv 1 (2.07) after I asked him to go get tested because he exposed me to a virus. Now, I’m confused because the doctor said hsv2, if he exposed me wouldn’t it have been hsv1G? Or would I need another test to differentiate that? My follow up test two weeks after had positive iGG and negative igm.

[WhatIsIt]

At the time that I went to the urgent care, I was treated with penicillin and antibiotics as a precaution to exposure to std without knowing the result. Ever since I got the results, I have been experiencing burning sensation everyday in my genital area(not sure if it’s a mental thing). Even with that, I have some weird looking small pimples on the corner of both sides of my mouth and little white spots on the back of my throat. Not sure why they would come now when I have never had that kind of hsv outbreak or if it is actually hsv related. My outbreak was always on my upper right lip an nowhere else. I wanted to go get checked for stress throat now to see if that’s causing these weird symptoms orally, but in regards to the burning, I’m unsure.. because I was tested negative for everything else; even recently because of paranoia. I’m confused because I want to know if I had this virus all along, but 5 years would not pass without my child’s father even being exposed to it… so I truly feel that I was recently exposed, but confused because the IGG test said hsv 1 and 2 and hsvG. Please advise me if you can? I worry about exposing my child through kissing, sharing utensils and just her always touching my lip. I worry about my future and wanting to have another child. I told my child father about this incident and exposure and I also asked my doctor to prescribe me antiviral because he claimed I didn’t need it due to igm being negative. But can’t your antibodies build up in 6wks? I knw my body and it felt different after that exposure.. but no lesion.

[Terri Warren]

Given that no recent partners are positive for HSV 2, I think it is likely that this is a false positive. The CDC says everyone with an index value of 1.1 to 3.5 needs a confirmatory antibody test as there are false positive int his range.

The IgM is worthless and the CDC says never to use it.

Terri

[WhatIsIt]

But couldn’t it be hsv 1 genital given that the other guy was tested positive for hsv1? On feb 2nd and I got tested March 12? Isn’t that enough time for iGG to build up? So wouldn’t that be the hsv2? What do you think contributes to the burning sensation? The confirmatory test is the western blot right? And I can order this through you or through my insurance? Can you give me some insight on the other questions I’ve asked in the previous post? I know I was all over the place.. but my primary care doc doesn’t seem to know much about this virus because he told me the igm is negative so I shouldn’t worry about the virus as new exposure. But even during pregnancy my obgyn never once mentioned lesions and my blood work didn’t either and we did an iGG testing too but not sure if it was herpes specific… pap didn’t show abnormal cells or anything. I’m just a little confused and want to ensure that I am being safe around my child, and other family members and friends. I have had hsv 1 since I was a kid and rarely have outbreaks or even given to a partner. Now this! This one bad incident is like a nightmare.

[Terri Warren]

HSV 1 stays HSV 1 regardless of it’s location. You apparently have not had sex with someone who has HSV 2, correct? So if you do have HSV 2, it’s from a longer standing infection than either of these two people but again it is a low positive so you would need a western blot to confirm the result as positive or see that it is a false positive. I’m trying to see what questions you actually asked but I think your confusion is thinking that HSV 1 can somehow become HSV 2 and it cannot.

Since you have long standing HSV 1 you are highly unlikely to get this genitally.
And if you do have HSV 2 genitally, this is not a risk to your child – this is a sexually transmitted infection

Terri

[WhatIsIt]

So you’re saying since I had hsv 1 antibodies as a child from oral exposure, I’m immune to getting it generally? Have you not heard of any cases of this?

2. What would you suggest is causing the burning sensation if all other tests were negative? As well as small little white spots in the back of my throat that has been there longer than a month? Negative for streps as well. I’m just a little confused with how this virus works and have been reading up on your website.

No I have not had sex with someone that has HSV 2, not that I am aware of. But can’t people get that from oral sex as well? I guess my confusion comes from thinking that once an oral infection is exposured to the genital area it then becomes hsv 2 and no longer hsv 1…..

[Terri Warren]

I have seen only one case in 33 years of practice specializing in herpes where someone with a reported history of cold sores acquired HSV 1 genitally, correct.
I’m sorry, but I don’t know what that might be – that’s an issue for the an ENT
I understand your confusion, yes. A person can get HSV 2 orally but it is quite uncommon.

This is your final question on this subscription. If you have more questions, feel free to renew

Terri

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