[Question #796] HSV-2 from sexual assault

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102 months ago
This event actually occurred back in December of 2010.  At the time I was 22 yrs old and never had had any oral/anal/intercourse in my life.  I was assaulted by a man in a friend's room while I was napping. The man was an aquaintence of my friend, but was known to be very promiscuous.  So this is what happened: He pulled off my underwear and pressed his naked penis up against my labia majora for less then 15 seconds (maybe less).  I came to and freaked out and tried pushing him off, but then he flipped me onto my belly and pressed his penis up against my buttocks for another 5 seconds or less (no entry past the cheeks) until my friend and her other friends came in to help me.  (It didn't feel like he placed his tip near either of my parts, but rather laid his shaft up against my parts).  I want to know if I should be tested for HSV-2.  I have never had any symptoms of any kind, and check myself regularly for anything down there and have never noticed anything out of the ordinary.  It should be noted that I do shave down there, and have no pubic hair, so not sure if that contributes to my risk assessment (I had shaved earlier the day of the assault).  I did have a pap done by my nurse practitioner who said I was not really at risk for anything.

So my questions are:
1.) Am I at substantial risk?
2.) Would you recommend testing? Or should I move on with my life?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
102 months ago
You are NOT at substantial risk - absolutely not.  I read through this very carefully and there is just nothing here that concerns me.  Honestly.  You don't mention what if any kind of sexual contacts you've had since then - can you tell me about that?  I absolutely don' think you need testing from this experience but have you had other kinds of contacts since that encounter? 

Terri
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102 months ago
The only person I've been with since this encounter has been my husband. (We've been together for three years, married two). I told him about the incident, but he feels that testing is unnecessary since there was no penetrarion and minimal contact, but I began worring because we want to have kids soon and I never stopped to think about the effects this incident might have on my future pregnancy. I was reading up on some things about healthy pregnancies, and got afraid when I read about a woman who had a outbreak of HSV 2 years after her last sexual encounter, and I began worrying about having an outbreak when I'm giving birth. My husband has been tested for everything, including HSV-1 and 2. He believes I'm fine and shouldn't worry about that incident at all, but reading your response has put me more at ease.
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
102 months ago
I hope the feeling of ease continues.  You needed more contact with thin genital skin, like labia minor or anus and you just aren't describing anything like that here. 

Terri
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