Oral / Possible HSV Infection on Genitals

[Zerokool2424]

Hello,

Last month around the 6th, a girl and I laid in my bed while she kissed my penile shaft, and briefly gave me oral sex no longer then a minute before we just watched one another masturbate. I didn’t notice any lesions / coldsores on her lips. Approx 6-8 days later I noticed a red spot on my penis shaft, it started off looking like a break in the skin. Then it progressed to a painless open sore / ulcer.. My primary doctor diagnosed it as herpes, yet told me there is no way to really tell other then just take some anti-viral medications.

I was crushed and went to receive a second opinion from an Urgent Care Center. The doctor at the E.R. immediately looked at it and said “it’s not herpes, you don’t have any classic symptoms, and I’d be more worried about syphilis.” So he treated me with Penicillin, and sent me on my way. The following week, the sore began to crust, still zero pain but I went back to the E.R. because internet research showed that syphilis usually occurs approx 21 days after exposure. So, the doctor took a culture of the area, but still tried to reassure me that it was not herpes. I was called, and said the culture was negative. Just super confused on should I worry? or is my life over? I just don’t want to be walking around like a jerk getting people infected.

I only remember getting a cold sore once when I was on adipex for weight loss, and my immune system dropped due to being dehydrated.

Please Help!

[Terri Warren]

So do I understand that no swab tests were taken from the original doctor who saw you the first time? It should have been. And the first ER doc didn’t either? You weren’t swab tested at all until the following week when the sore began to crust? That swab result cannot be relied upon.

Have you had any herpes testing done by blood? Did you have syphilis blood test done?
When you had the cold sore previously, was it in the inside of your mouth or outside? Was that before or after you starting having sex in your life?

If you do have herpes, you life is definitely not over! Let’s try to get clearer about whether you have herpes or not. The experience that you described to me does NOT sound high risk for acquiring herpes and if you did, it would be HSV 1 not HSV 2.

Terri

[Zerokool2424]

Correct, the first doctor thought it maybe syphilis too.. but he then turned around and said “I guess it could be herpes.” And he didn’t take a swab, and wanted me to return in 3 months for a syphilis blood test. The E.R. doctor didn’t swab it, and said simply to put neosporin on it after he gave me the penicillin injections for he thought it could more then likely be syphilis.

I’ve never had any herpes blood test done, my family doctor #1 in this story told me to consult an infectious disease clinic for that test, he doesn’t do them I guess. The only cold sore I can remember was on the outside of my mouth, that was after I’ve had sex in my life.

[Terri Warren]

I suppose you could have contracted oral and genital herpes at the same time since it was after you started having sex and this is a recurrence. But I would suggest about 12 weeks after the encounter that you get an HSV 1 and 2 IgG antibody test. You can order these yourself online without a clinician order. At least then you could see if you are infected with HSV 2 (HSV 1 is likely given the cold sore), though if you are, it is not from this oral encounter.

Terri

[Zerokool2424]

Would it have been possible for the female to be infected orally with HSV1 and HSV2? For it then to be spread to me? or like you said previously, it’s probably not from this encounter.

[Terri Warren]

Infection with oral HSV 2 is not common and when it happens, the virus is shed infrequently from the mouth. So if you are HSV 2 positive on the test, then it wasn’t from this encounter, yes.

Terri

[Zerokool2424]

Hello Terri,

I recently had IgG blood testing done for HSV1 and HSV2, it was prior to 12weeks elapsing from the time of this encounter. Yet, I wanted to try and see if I had the prior infection of HSV2.. No numerical values were given to me, but they said I tested positive for HSV-1 only, and it was seen to be an older infection.

So, I guess my question is did I just luckout and hit the “very rare” oral HSV-2? and having a prior HSV-1 oral make my first outbreak simply be one painless sore? That the first doctor suggested. I went to the E.R. doctor / #2 in this story, for the IgG blood testing and he still with great confidence was telling me it would be negative because it wasn’t herpes.

Just dunno if I should act like I have it, and start telling people.. or wait for another outbreak if it comes. I still intend on testing again at 12weeks which would be at the end of October.

[Terri Warren]

I do NOT feel that you hit the jackpot and got oral HSV 2, no. NO! Let’s see what the results of the 12 week IgG test is before telling anyone at all that you have herpes. At how many weeks past exposure was the most recent testing done? Was any syphilis testing done or were you just treated?

Terri

[Zerokool2424]

The recent blood test was done around 6-7 weeks after the incident in question. No syphilis testing was done at this time, just the treatment of receiving penicillin shots.

[Terri Warren]

The blood test is accurate at 6 weeks with 70% certainty.

Terri

[Zerokool2424]

70% certainty, but would the anti-virals given to me by Doc #1 that I took for 10days, and finished almost a month before the IgG bloodtest for HsV-2 impact the results even more so? Like now perhaps 50% or less to show at 6 weeks? Also, the intial sore is healed, yet I can still see a small outline / circle where it was.. dunno if that means anything one way or another.

[Terri Warren]

I don’t believe that 10 days of medicine is going to change you results much – daily therapy certainly would. Given the sore, however, it is very important that you get another IgG test 12 weeks from exposure.

Terri

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