Hello, I am a female who had unprotected sex with a man I only knew briefly. Nothing came up afterwards but because its something i never do, i was paronoid and got tested for everything 1 month later, found just to have oral hsv 1, which i already knew, everything else was neg. About a month later I was in a public hot tub with extreme chemicals. 2 days later I had red irritation on the sides of my vulva and creases of thighs. I could barely walk and had 2 separate episodes of hives which everyone says i brought on from anxiety. Being so nervous, I started freaking out, thinking I had herpes. I went to an internist who specializes in stds, he said it didn't look anything like herpes, but irritation on the vagina lining with little papules from it being very thin (perhaps from having pcos and endometriosis). He swabbed it anyway, everything came back neg. For the past 2 months I've had the same thing irritation switching from left to right side, occasionally in  vagina with no relief more than a few hrs, appears sitting too long increases pain. I seen a vulva specialist who did a swab and looked under a microscope, saying its not herpes but contact dermatitis of the vulva. Had 3 igg hsv 2 blood tests at 1 mth, mth and half, then 10 wks, which was first .11 then .07, then .13.  (Pos w/b .90)And had igm too, both neg, last time tested was at 10 wks, insisted for 3 herpes viral swabs on the irritation, all neg. I'm waiting for the 3 month Mark, Jan 4. I never had sores, blister or rashes.  I was around a lot of patients with really bad colds, now I developed a sore throat  and have a cold sore. I'm so nervous, I can't eat, sleep or think about anything else until I know for sure I don't have it. When can I assume I really don't hAve it?? :-(

First, your pretty constant symptoms don't sound like herpes to me.  Nothing came up within the appropriate incubation period (1 to 10 days).  You have three negative swab test and negative antibody testing at appropriate intervals so far.  A cold and sore throat has nothing to do with herpes.  A negative test at 12 weeks should give you 95% certainty for HSV 2.

Terri
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I now have swollen glands and a cough , this is almost 3 months after exposure, should I be even more concerned?

No, those symptoms are not things we associate with herpes, no.

Terri
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I just don't understand why little red blotches come and go constantly on the opening of the vagina and on the vulva. It's driving me crazy.. they burn and irritate me to the point i cant walk. Then I don't feel them for a few hrs or a day, then they are right back again. Do you recommend my next igg hsv 2 at 11 or 12 weeks?

If you literally cannot walk, then you need to be seen, if you can get yourself into the clinician's office.  That's terrible.
Yes, IgG at 12 weeks.  But I don't feel that herpes is the cause of your issues at this point.

Terri
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