Exposure Risk – Help

[Beththerest]

I had a one night stand last night and I can’t believe I did that. I’m female and the guy performed oral sex and then he put a condom on and we had sex. I stopped after 5 minutes or so. But the next morning I felt rough patch (scab) on the underside of the shaft of his penis. I asked him what it was and he didn’t know. I was slowly realizing he’s not the brightest person. I tried to get a closer look (discreetly) and it was slightly raised, maybe a couple millimeters in diameter. I could tell what color really. I’ve read theough this forum many many times throughout the years. He said he got tested for “everything” through the military. But, of course, when I asked the specific questions he was completely clueless and it was clear he’s never had a type-specific blood test. I know I have hsv1 already orally but always negative for hsv2. He said he has never had symptoms but he really doesn’t seem too observant and I don’t know what that small rough patch was. I told him to please get tested but I doubt he will. There was touching the night before without a condom (hand to penis and then hand to my vagina) and I’m worried if he touched his penis then touched my vagina immediately afterwards then I’m at risk. Given all the information above please let me know how worried I should be.

• This topic was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Beththerest.

[Terri Warren]

I don’t think you should be too worried. A condom was used for intercourse and condoms reduce transmission of HSV 2 by 96%. The touching is extremely unlikely to result in transmission – I wouldn’t worry at all about that.

Terri

[Beththerest]

Thank you, Terri, for your response. It’s been about 10 days now and no real symptoms anyway aside from itching – which could be psychosomatic. I’ve been keeping a close eye on things down there. Although I’m probably hsv2 clear I thought of a couple more questions. Being almost 35 and getting a couple scares with this now (false IGG positives), I’m the go-to in my friend group after poring through this forum obessively for years. At this point I fear hsv much less than I used to and am more curious than anything.

So, if someone has had hsv1 orally for years – would that make the acquisition of genital hsv2 less “obvious” during the prodrome? I had clear-cut flu-like symptoms and a giant cold sore 3 days after exposure to my oral hsv1 8 years ago. Wondering if – dependent on our individual genes – our genes “allow” us to display symptoms for one type – then if we’d be more likely to also display symptoms when acquiring the other type. Or would the opposite be more accurate (no prodrome symptoms) because we already have antibodies for the other type?

One more thing while I’m here –
A year after I acquired oral hsv1 (2011), I underwent your PCR swab testing pretty consistently for a year. I discovered that I basically only shed a couple days before a real cold sore appears and, of course, for the duration of the cold sore. Since then, I’ve had two long term boyfriends who were both negative for both hsv1 and 2 and both remain cold sore free (not sure they have been type-specific blood tested again since I initially made them get tested). I got one cold sore a year for 7 years and none the past 2 years. I know there’s no sure-fire way to know – but can I still safely assume I don’t shed aside from my visible cold sores?

Thank you again. A friend of mine just learned she has genital hsv2 & hadn’t heard of this incredible forum. She doesn’t know where she got it. She never displayed symptoms and is devastated and deeply depressed. I’ll be passing along this resource.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Beththerest.

[Beththerest]

One more – immediately after I got my last false (borderline) positive for hsv2 a year and a half ago, I went to get the BioKit test and was negative. I don’t remember the exact timeline after I slept with the (promiscuous) guy that made me wonder – he didn’t know his status (it was mostly protected but he was forceful in places sans condom for a minute or two). But I remember I tested with BioKit at the soonest chance (probably at 4 weeks (the day after I received the borderline positive blood test)) the literature says to get tested with BioKit. However, I just saw elsewhere on this forum that already having hsv1 can slow down antibody formation for the more well-known IGG and Elisa tests. With this same theory –

Should I have waited longer to do the BioKit?

I dated someone for the following year up until this last Nov (unprotected) thinking we were both hsv2 negative. He has never reported symptoms (we still talk) and, like I said, he got Elisa tested negatve for both at the beginning of our relationship which ended in Nov. And then I only had that recent one night stand 10 days ago that you said would be unlikely to acquire.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Beththerest.

[Terri Warren]

Yes, the person who has HSV 1 first is far more likely to have modest symptoms or no symptoms with the acquisition of HSV 2. That because HSV 1 and HSV 2 share so much common DNA that some reduction in symptoms is to expected.

I think it s reasonable to assume that you shed virus very infrequently, except for the period prior to and during a cold sore, yes

Four weeks is a little early but if you have had no symptoms and mostly contact was condom protected, that is probably an accurate result

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

Terri

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Terri Warren.

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