possible exposure and post-week test

[km8058]

hi terri,

two weeks ago, i had a one night stand with a girl i met days prior. we had oral sex at her home for about 10 minutes and i also fingered her. i felt fine, was tested for stds a week later, and was negative in an 8 test panel. she told me prior that she had an std test and was negative for everything… i took mine to reassure her. now, she tells me her gyno just told her that they found the hpv that may cause cervical cancer. also, she told me that the recent test didn’t include herpes. ugh… she was clean of it a year ago via bloodwork.

how much am i at risk? i’ve heard that it takes a long-term relationship to get hpv, and also that i may already have it? also, if she has herpes, what are my chances of me not catching it? also, how valid is my last std test? was the one week-post test too soon? do i need another test?

i’ve had no symptoms except for a few canker sores, which i get regularly have had for years. nothing on my lip. i felt tingling today, but i’m sure those were nerves and me psyching myself out…

thanks so much.

[Terri Warren]

By the time a person has had five sexual partners, they are likely to have at least one type of genital HPV if not more. So I don’t know anything about your sexual history but you do. The likelihood that you would contract herpes at a single encounter with this person assuming she has it is low for sure.

Your test at one week post sex with her should be considered a baseline test – a test that will inform you of what your status re: HSV was before you had sex with her. A test at 16 weeks post exposure will be accurate. There is no HPV test for males.

Terri

[km8058]

hi terri,

one follow up question: i would’ve had symptoms of hsv1/2 by now if i caught it orally, correct? I havent’ had anything in or around my mouth besides a canker sore on the back of my palate. i had a sore throat last last with back pains, but i attribute that to fighting a cold due to lack of sleep and stress. i’ve been traveling non-stop for weeks now.

[Terri Warren]

IF you were going to have symptoms of HSV 2, you would have them by two-to three weeks after exposure. But remember that 80% of those infected with HSV 2 don’t know it so not everyone has symptoms. However, if you didn’t have intercourse, then HSV 2 is not the risk here, HSV 1 is what most people would get from oral sex, if they got herpes.

Terri

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