Meaning of asymptomatic?

[Needaclearunderstanding]

Hi Terri,

Thanks for all of the help you provide on here. Can you clear something up for me and help me understand? Truly, what is the meaning of an asymptomatic individual? Does this mean that they do not have a typical outbreak upon contracting the virus? I know the virus can lay dormant, but truly for how long would someone show absolutely no symptoms of HSV1 or HSVS? When I read about people who showed symptoms years later, do you think that they simply did not notice any lesions, but did have less noticeable outbreaks? I read a study of yours that people who thought they were asymptomatic realized they actually got lesions when they were shown pictures of what outbreaks looked like.

[Needaclearunderstanding]

Follow up question:

Back in 2014, I had a scare for HSV that left me traumatized and suffered a lot of health anxiety. My IGG was negative for both when I tested. I had a hard lump at the top of my labia that I tried to squeeze, but nothing happened except breaking the skin open. I still have a small scar there from the incident. I had a handful of partners since then, but never tested again and never showed any symptoms. I have had COVID, the vaccine twice, horrible stress from loss. I have been celibate for the last five years. No new partners and no symptoms at all. I get anal fissures throughout the years because I have blood on the toilet paper when I wipe. I can also tell these are not typical herpes lesions too. I am always looking down there with a mirror and I have never seen anything too suspicious. About a month ago, I had one solid vertical line that went from the top of my vagina to the bottom. It presented as a superficial cut but never changed. It went away overnight, and I read this can be due to dryness or yeast. I took a Diflucan and not sure if that helped it heal, but this also made me think this was not typical herpes. I have a lot of anxiety because of this incident, but I truly never had any other lesions, cuts, itching, or symptoms.

[Terri Warren]

Asymptomatic could mean that someone is infected but truly has no symptoms that they can detect. Or it could mean that someone is asymptomatic UNTIL they learn to recognize an outbreak. Both are possible.
I’m not sure what your question is here – can you please clarify?

Terri

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