Do I have herpes?

[kpark28]

Hello Dr. Terri, I was looking to ask my question on medhelp but this is better So here goes:

My exposure with a HSV1 and HSV2 positive(confirmed by IgG) women was limited to kissing and fingering her, i have eczema on my hands. I had basketball shorts on and boxers on underneath. We kissed with her laying down and me on top. I fingered her, she was wearing a very small skirt. I don’t think i took my penis out, and she doesn’t remember that happening either, she doesn’t remember me rubbing it on her thigh or vagina or it even being out, and neither do I. I did not have sex with her. Now the time line of events:
May 4th 3a.m : exposure with her
May 6th-7th: I started to get frequent urination (9-11 times a day), urgency, and also the feeling like you have to urinate often but not much urine comes out ,stomach cramping on left side, no burning, cloudiness, or pain, no visible lesions but the feeling of never emptying of my bladder, light lower back pain. I thought it was uti so just stuck to water and cranberry juice
May 20th: Talked to a doctor over the phone, he prescribed ciproflaxcin 10 days dose, the symptoms at this point were same, was going to the bathroom 8-10 times.
June 2nd: the frequency has decreased, but the main symptom is that after urination i get this feeling that some urine drops are stuck in urethra. The doctor prescribed me doxycycline for 2 weeks. After the doxycycline my symptoms of frequency slowly decreased over a period of a month, i still get the urgency to pee, but hold it. The symptom that has stuck by throughout this whole ordeal is the feeling of urine stuck in urethra after peeing. the feeling goes away after a while sometimes it doesn’t. Even till this day, i can go on for 5 hours without peeing, but after i pee i get this sensation that something is still left in the penis.

During this whole ordeal there have been 3 instances where i felt pain, One was a month after this whole thing started, i woke up one day had to go pee and it was difficult(not painful) to pee, but accompanying this was the WORST testicular pain i have had, it was in the left testicle only and radiated to the stomach, this pain last exactly 2 days. As soon as i would touch the bottom of my left testicle the pain would radiate to the stomach, it decreased and went away in 2 days so i didn’t think much of it. The other 2 instances were in June, they were after i tried to keep forcing more urine out by exerting myself thinking it would stop the “urine left in urethra feeling”

My question is does this indicate that i had herpetic urethritis? I am really worried. I am in a relationship and did this out of my relationship. My significant other hasn’t gotten any symptoms like this. Lately I have dizziness, vertigo feeling, and i keep thinking its from HSV1 vestibular neuritis or something, but more concerned about my urinary symptoms being herpes related. I am just overall super worried if i passed it on. Your input will be greatly appreciated.

[Terri Warren]

Your experience that you describe does NOT present a risk for acquiring genital herpes. Period. From everything that you describe, there was not genital to genital contact nor was there her mouth to your genitals contact. Absolutely nothing you’ve said makes me worry about you getting herpes at this encounter. I think whatever symptoms you are having have nothing whatsoever to do with a new case of genital herpes.

It is unfortunate that your doctor prescribed antibiotics without knowing if your had white cells in your urine that would define a urinary tract infection. True UTI’s in men are really quite rare (urethritis due to an STI are quite common) and I’m not sure what to make of your feeling of incomplete urination. However, what I can tell you is that it isn’t new herpes infection!

I am curious – have you had an IgG antibody test in the past so that you know your herpes status already?

Terri

[kpark28]

thank you Terri for your quick response. To be honest….my significant other is the only person i have ever been with sexually, and she and I both were virgins, and i like an idiot I stepped out on her, so never needed to test for herpes or other stds. It’s just that this whole incident started 2 days after that exposure. I can’t even say this is just anxiety because i didn’t know this person was hsv2 positive a month later. The doctor prescribed the antibiotic because i tested my urine at home with a dipstick strip and it was at the VERY LOW end of wbc. you said urethritis due to STI are common, which ones?

So my “symptoms’ since that episode don’t suggest herpes to you? Do you think i could have herpes if i had touched my penis after fingering this woman or if i may have touched her thigh with my penis. I know my penis didn’t touch her vagina, we were not drunk or anything and the chance both of us forget something like that is hard to believe. Also this recent dizziness, vertigo, could this be caused by herpes?

[Terri Warren]

well, urethritis from an STI is most often associated with gonorrhea or chlamydia or mycoplasma, but the incident didn’t put you at risk for those things either. I’m not sure what dipsticks you used to test your urine, but there is often a color change with the dipsticks that are commonly used. You have to time the test exactly, no more, no less, than the test says for that indicator. If you wait longer that the prescribed time, the color change often happens on its own but does not indicate infection. I’m not sure what you used or really how to interpret it, only to tell you that true UTIs in men are very unusual and nothing you did puts you at risk for an STI in this encounter. Has anyone done a prostate exam on you to make sure that isn’t involved?

No, I do not think that you could have acquired HSV by fingering this woman then touching your penis. No. Nor do I think the dizziness and vertigo is caused by herpes. Nope.

Terri

[kpark28]

I used the dollar store urine sticks, you are suppose to wait 2 minutes after urine exposure to check, and mine would always be at the very lowest one. +/- 15 wbc. Since then i have had urine dipstick at the doctors and a urine culture both negative. A doctor did check my prostate last week and said it felt fine, but this is 4 months after the fact.

I asked about dizziness and vertigo because for the past 2 months i have had a phlegmy throat all the time no pain in throat, a light pain in jaw and ear that comes and goes, and the doctor said i had fluid behind the ear drum and for 2 weeks this dizziness and vertigo. The only thing that comes up with all that was Vestibular Neuritis so thought i should ask if its hsv 1 related.

So at this time should I stop worrying about herpes being the cause? Even if my penis was out and touched her(i am 100% sure if it even was out it didn’t touch her vagina), would herpes present like this? A question regarding herpes, does it cause male Infertility and erectile dysfunction?

I don’t think i get any more replies, after this. Thank you very much Terri for your help especially on a Sunday, you have been very patient and helpful.

[kpark28]

could you please tell me if i have to pay again to get a reply to my last post?

[kpark28]

do I have to pay again?

[Terri Warren]

Yes, you’ve done the initial question and two follow up questions. If you want to ask more questions, there is a $10 fee for two more questions. You can jut go to the initial registration page and register for two more questions.

Thanks!
Terri

[kpark28]

ok i just did that, could you please answer my questions from earlier.

[Terri Warren]

Honestly, I wouldn’t rely on dollar store urine dip sticks to diagnose anything! I would much more likely trust the urine tests and cultures done at your doctor’s office. And very good that a prostate exam was done to determine that everything is good down there.

Herpes does not cause vertigo or phlegm in the throat. These things are unrelated to a herpes infection. If you had fluid behind your ear drum, that makes lots of sense for the dizziness. In this situation, I think you should trust your doctor’s impressions about what’s going on with your dizziness.

Yes, I believe that you can stop worrying about herpes completely. Even if your penis was out, if it didn’t touch her vagina or her mouth, it is not a risk for herpes. Herpes does not cause erectile dysfunction and there is no firm evidence that herpes is related to infertility, though there are some preliminary studies looking at the issue, suggesting it is a possibility. But you don’t have herpes from this encounter. I honestly think you can put this aside now from a medical point of view, now you have to do it in your head.

You can ask one more question, if you still have some.

Terri

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Terri Warren.

[kpark28]

My dizziness and vertigo symptoms are still there, in fact getting worse, i am getting worried if its something scary like HIV. As pertaining to the dollar store and azo tests, my doctor said the same thing that they are not to be believed. My only other question would be if I did have oral exposure with someone(them performing on me) wouldn’t that herpes be HSV1? and another, did my symptoms appear to be that of Herpetic Urethritis? Thank you again for your help and calming my worries..

[Terri Warren]

If your vertigo is getting worse, then go back to your doctor and discuss this. it is NOT due to HIV or herpes.
If someone gave you oral sex, yes, they could transmit HSV 1 from their mouth to your genitals. I thought you said that wasn’t the case. And no, your symptoms are not consistent with herpetic urethritis. Really – you can dial back the worry! You don’t seem to be feeling reassured, I’m not sure what else I can do to help you feel better.

Terri

[kpark28]

I am assured by your advice that this is not herpes & no i did not have oral sex with her, only what i had written, i was just asking a question for my knowledge. I actually am just worried more about my vision/vertigo symptoms and if they are related to some sort of STDs. Thank you for your time and help.

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