HSV-2 only sytemic symptom?

[NorthernEuropeandude]

Hi Terri!

I am a Caucasian heterosexual man with unclear HSV type 1 status. Two months ago I had an sexual encounter with a woman who, about six month before, had tested positive for genital herpes, a primary infection. She refused to reveal what type. The meeting included her rubbing her genitals against mine and intercourse, which ceased when the condom broke.

My question, is it possible that one can have systemic symptoms of HSV type 2, without blisters or any other marks on the skin? Only some redness in the crease between the thighs and groin. And can these symptoms appear as early as 40 hours after the sexual encounter, and then disappear again within 81 hours after the encounter?

6 days after the meeting, I went to a STD-clinic and the doctor found no visible signs of herpes or any other signs of infection, no swelling of the lymph nodes. She explained that my perceived symptoms most likely was due to anxiety and not herpes.

What I experienced was tenderness (no real swelling) in the lymph nodes in the groin and armpits (coincided whit me reading about this symptom), fatigue, frequent urination, flu-like symptoms, brief periods of a electric sensation over the skin in my right leg.
I had very poor sleep due to the anxiety, and the symptoms stopped after the first god nigh sleep. Unfortunately, in the northern European country where I live, it is considered bad medical practice to perform IgG or western blot tests for HSV, except regarding pregnant women, so these tests are quite out of the question for me.

[Terri Warren]

So it is certainly possible to have HSV 2 without any classic symptoms, yes.
Your symptoms don’t sound herpetic to me. Usually herpes lesions would be in a different location and last a longer amount of time.

Terri

[NorthernEuropeandude]

Thanks for your answer!
I am not that concerned white the red marks in the skin, more so white the other symptoms. Did they not either sound herpetic? What about the time frame for them? What makes me a little confused is what the STD-clinic i went to said. The doctor told me that she newer herd of systemic symptoms of HSV type 2 without the infection breaking thru the skin.

[Terri Warren]

The other symptoms don’t sound herpetic to me either, specifically. They are vague and could be related to many things.
Herpes is a condition of the skin and nerves and I would agree that the vast majority of the time when people have symptoms of herpes, they include skin manifestations as well, for some people, more general body symptoms.
Terri

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