[Question #12897] HSV1 additional concern and some anxiety
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4 months ago
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Hello doctors and medical staff, I found a lot of comfort and reassurance through your previous answers to my post (albeit only two days ago), but I found myself still wanting to ask a few questions. That being said, at the time I made my last post, I had developed a pimple around Sunday, above my upper lip on the left end of where a moustache would grow (so around 1.5 - 2 cm above my lip), so not on my lip line or my lip itself, I had an urgent care doctor look at it and he was pretty confident that it was just a pimple. I've had it for about 4 - 5 days prior (4/13) to today (approximately 12-13 days post my last unprotected oral exposure) and it does present as just a single bump, it doesn't look to have any clusters or any fluid besides blood coming out from when I popped it. Also, the other day (4/16) I did eat some hot food and probably burned the roof of my tongue, now I feel a bit raw on the roof of my mouth and when I asked someone to look at it for me they saw kind of reddish and white circles around the affected area. I also did do a bit of kissing with tongue with my last two encounters (4/1, unprotected oral and making out and 3/23, protected vaginal and oral with also making out) from my last post. Other than that no other symptoms that I've noticed such as lesions or sores on my penis, discharge, or burning painful urination.
My questions are:
1) Do I have to worry about the risk of HSV1 with either of these one off encounters with CSW?
2) Are these symptoms arriving too late post exposure (so 12ish days post exposure) to be considered anything related to herpes?
3) Again, should I not worry about continuing to make out and have unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sex with any partners?
4) Would getting a swab be unnecessary given if its a low risk encounter? Would it be too late anyways?
Thank you so much for your continued reassurance!
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4 months ago
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Also, do you think I should get the sores on the roof of my mouth swabbed?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
4 months ago
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I don't recall your experience - were you the giver of oral sex to a sex worker, is that the concern? You mention oral sex in your post but you don't say if you were the giver, receiver, or both.
The only way I would be concerned at all would be if you were the giver of oral sex.
HSV 1 can be transmitted through kissing, yes, and it is also possible to acquire HSV 1 genitally be receiving unprotected oral sex.
However, the pimple on your lip sounds just like a pimple and I'm so glad that you were seen and evaluated in person to get a professional, in person assessment of your situation.
Also, you are correct, 12-13 days post encounter is unusually long for a symptom to appear for the first time.
Also, herpes doesn't normally present as a single bump but rather like a bump with water in it that breaks open, ulcerates and scabs. This doesn't sound like your presentation to me.
Terri
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4 months ago
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Thanks for your reply!
Yes, I was the receiver of unprotected oral sex for my latest encounter, and receiver of protected oral and protected vaginal for my encounter a week prior to that one.
I'm just worried about having been infected with HSV1, as I've read from other forum discussions, it seems like it's very unlikely to receive HSV2 from oral. What are the chances that I've contracted an HSV1 infection? (Or HSV2 for that matter)
I've also gotten three blood and urine tests for syphilis, chlamydia, trich, HIV, and gonorrhea. These tests were done 7 days, 10 days, and 16 days post exposure and were all negative
As an additional reference, the HSV IgG antibody levels from the test results were consistently <.2 for both types. I was wondering if that could be counted as extra reassurance that I wasn't infected? In addition to the fact that I haven't had any additional symptoms such as the painful urination, sores or lesions, and discharge.
1) Would it be alright to resume kissing, unprotected oral, and unprotected vaginal sex with my usual partner (both receiving and giving)?
2) If any other negligible symptoms arise that aren't super apparent of an outbreak, can I assume they are not related to the exposure at all?
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4 months ago
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For clarity: the tests were done at 7, 10, and 16 days post the only unprotected oral exposure, so they would be 14, 17, and 23 days post the fully protected vaginal and oral exposure.
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
4 months ago
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We don't have any statistics about how likely it is to get HSV 1 from receiving oral sex but we do know that's the way most people who have HSV 1, acquired it. that certainly doesn't mean YOU go it, and without any symptoms at all, the chances are good that you did not get either HSV 1 or HSV 2. The condom reduced the risk of acquiring HSV 2 genitally by 65%, which is good, and using the condom for receiving oral sex was also very good
I can't guide you on what to do about your regular partner. Your testing was all done very early after the encounters AND cannot be relied upon that early .
Most people who acquire HSV 1 or HSV 2 from a particular encounter will have symptoms within 2-10 days.
Terri
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