[Question #10789] HSV Risk

19 months ago

13 weeks ago, I had unprotected oral sex for ~5 minutes from an escort and am concerned about HSV risk. After the encounter, I was stressed and immediately started to feel some weird tingling and ultimately burning in urethera. Burning and tingling has continued on and off around different places in my genital area (groin, glans, rectum) for the last 3 months, but no open sores have appeared. I have tested negative for bacteria/UTI and other STDs. I have tested positive for HSV1, via blood, but I had cold sores dating back to when I was 15 and my test was positive 2 weeks post encounter meaning it wasn’t recent. Questions:

1. Does this sounds like HSV? Could it last this long?

2.Could I get HSV1 in a different place after already being infected?

3. I tested negative for HSV2 at 12 weeks. Given that and this was oral sex, can I conclude I don’t have it?

4. If I do have HSV1 in a new location (genitals) can I assume it would be very hard to spread given low shedding?

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

19 months ago

First, herpes symptoms do not show up right away after a sexual encounter as you described for yourself.

Second, the risk of receiving oral sex is HSV 1, not HSV 2, but the risk might be slightly higher since this person was a professional sex worker.

1. Does this sounds like HSV? Could it last this long?

It does not sound anything like HSV due to the long duration of your symptoms and the immediate start of your symptoms

2.Could I get HSV1 in a different place after already being infected?

Very very unlikely

3. I tested negative for HSV2 at 12 weeks. Given that and this was oral sex, can I conclude I don’t have it?

I would say yes

4. If I do have HSV1 in a new location (genitals) can I assume it would be very hard to spread given low shedding?

Correct, yes. HSV 1 genital infection is rarely shed.

Terri

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19 months ago

Thank you. I just tested again for HSV2 at 13 weeks. If I test negative, should I stop testing?

At this point my symptoms are basically random tingling in rectum/glans and then burning. I basically seem to have symptoms 95% of the time and am wondering if it’s prostatitis. Without sores, low risk that I would get HSV1 in another place and low risk for HSV2/negative tests, would you recommend that I can resume sexual activity and disclose only that I have cold sores orally?

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

19 months ago

I think with the negative test at 13 weeks, symptoms that seem inconsistent with HSV, and a history of oral HSV 1, I think you can believe the IgG test and move on and disclose the oral HSV 1 wto future sex partners, yes.

Terri

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