HSV2 in the Throat

[kwill]

I performed oral sex on someone and 5 days later it became painful to swallow and I noticed 3 lesions on the back on the back of my throat (no blisters, or cold sores on lips, mouth, cheeks, etc.). In the following days I developed a low grade fever and body aches. I went to get my throat swabbed and it came back positive for HSV2.

The partner that I preformed oral on had no symptoms or signs of HSV and went to get a IgG test which came back negative for both HSV1 and HSV2.

The person that I had been with before him also had no signs of HSV and we engaged in both oral and vaginal sex. However, I have no symptoms of outbreak on my genitals so I am not sure that I would have only contracted it orally if it was from him.

My Dr suggests I may have had it for some time lying dormant but is it likely that HSV2 in the throat lies dormant for months/years and would suddenly break out only in my throat? Is it worth trying to trace where my HSV originated?

[kwill]

Am I able to pass it vaginally or only through my mouth?

I am also wondering if there is any difference between having HSV2 in your throat vs mouth?

Thank you!

[Newuser637]

What did the lesions look like? Did it look like cobblestone throat?

[kwill]

Hi! Thanks for responding.

I don’t think it looked like cobblestone.

It was 3 relatively large white spots, one was circular and the other 2 were more in the shape of long ovals/lines, i first noticed them on 6/14. They were raised and seemed to be pus filled. On 6/17 I noticed that they grew in size and I now had some small white spots on my tonsils. By 6/19 (before starting Valacyclovir) they started to go down significantly.

[Terri Warren]

Oral HSV 2 alone is really very uncommon. It is rarely shed, and it would be unlikely to pass it to someone else, but if you did, it would be by performing oral sex on them, not intercourse.
A couple of things: the person you gave oral sex to might have had the wrong test done or acquired it so recently that he didn’t have an antibody yet. An antibody test for you would have helped identify if this was a new or old infection. Did you not have that done?

Terri

[kwill]

Hi Terri,

I had not had an antibody test done initially. My Dr did not recommend it and told me that trying to determine when I got it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. I have since had the test done and the result was hsv2 positive but i was not given the actual values of my result. I was also told that I could “proceed as normal” and do not need to disclose my status unless I have an outbreak but that doesn’t seem right to me.

I know you mentioned passing it through oral sex but should i also be concerned about kissing, or sharing food, drinks, or joints??

Thank you again

• This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by kwill.

[Terri Warren]

If you had had a negative IgG combined with a positive swab for HSV 2, that would have proven that this was a new infection – you had virus present in your throat but not enough time had gone by to yet develop antibody. Your doctor was wrong.

Discloing is an interesting question with oral HSV 2. Because it is shed so infrequently, I think transmission is highly unlikely but it probably isn’t zero. I’m just not clear how to advise you on that. I wouldn’t worry about kissing or sharing things, however.

Terri

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