1. On 11/4 I developed a bump. As I stated in my last post, I was going to take daily antiviral for a month and see how it mad me feel. It helped with some of the sensations I thought I was feeling. I know I was overly attentive to any sensation so that helped a bit. Before the bump though, I had irritation in that area for a few days, which has happened before due to tight underwear. I did not have access to the doctor at that time but I started taking the stronger dosage of Valtrex she had prescribed for an outbreak. The bump was gone by 11/6 sometime that afternoon. Does this sound like it was an outbreak? I have another bump now however it feels like just a regular pimple down there that I have gotten before. I can feel the bump under the skin and it only hurts when pressure is applied. Are there any determining factors that could help me determine what I am experiencing without having to pay a copay every time I think I am having an outbreak?
No, there is no replacement for having a swab test and exam done (swab test more important) to know if a bump is related to HSV 1 or not.
2. I often times check myself out down there to see if there is anything I need to worry about, any bumps, or cuts. This is normally right after the shower when I make sure to dry that area off. In this instance do I need to immediately get up and wash my hands or am I okay? I hope that doesn’t sound gross. Also when bathing I try to make sure I wash my genitals last so I don’t pass it anywhere else on my body. Is this a form of transmission?
You do not need to wash your hands right away again if you are checking for lesions immediately after a shower, no. This is not a form of transmission.
3. Another thing, the skin. I the reason doctors say that condoms are not 100% effective because all of the surrounding skin has herpes, or is it because there could be bumps hidden somewhere that could cause infection? When I say that I’m asking do they tell your that because there are bumps we cannot see or is it because there all of the surrounding skin is contagious… I hope the question I am asking makes sense. I know you can have prodrome symptoms in areas where you get bumps so I thought maybe it was more so the fact we can’t seem bumps vs. if you touch herpes skin and then touch someone else you will get it.
It is because vaginal secretions carrying virus can get onto parts of a male body that aren’t completely covered by a condom. People can shed virus from herpes when there are lesions and when there are not. Your HSV 1 genital infection is going to shed less and less, the farther away you get from September.
Terri
I have heard that because I have ghsv1 it is harder to transmit when no outbreak is present but I am just trying to get all of the facts straight.