Searching for Insight

[Askingquestions]

I am searching for some insight and next steps. I was with my boyfriend who is OHSV1+ for about 3 months. He would get cold sores sometimes, only one when we were together. During sex he would use his saliva to lube his penis before sex. That is where my concern comes from. Knowing he was OHSV1+, I never allowed him to perform oral sex on me. Not once. The last time I had sex with him was in the beginning of june. To be exact, 6 weeks ago, from the very last time we had sex or any physical contact because we split the very next day. Since we split I have done my fair share of monitoring my genitals. Almost to an extreme because I think I hurt my back from bending in unnatural ways. I have had no symptoms that I don’t think I have made up in my head to be honest. No sores, no lesions, no itching, no sickness, no swollen lymph nodes, no burning on urination. I have however had discomfort that I truly believe to be from obsessively poking, stretching and prodding the area. So there is nothing. I would go and get a blood test but I don’t believe that to be of any use to me because I have not had cold sores either so if it were to be positive I would not know the location. In summary I am asking for what you feel should be my next steps. I realize I am out of the average initial outbreak window and I have not had any symptoms. This is not a panic post, I’m also out of my panicking window personally. But for some reason I just cannot stop obsessing over every tiny itch, pinch, tingle that I feel down below which sends me into a full spiral. My questions: what are my chances of contracting GHSV1 from this relationship? Should I get a blood test? Should I continue to monitor? What are the chances I did contract GHSV1 and did not have an initial outbreak?

[Terri Warren]

I think the chances of you getting HSV 1 from him using saliva as a lubricant are low. Not zero but low, especially since you’ve had no sores. You could get a blood test, yes, but as you said, you wouldn’t know where the infection was AND the IgG test misses 30% of hSV 1 infections.

I think your best bet is to quit hurting your back by bending into weird positions to see your genitalia and move along. If you get symptoms, get them checked out. Can you do that?

Terri

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