Question:
I've been dating this woman for about a month now. I'm 32 and she is 28. Neither one of us has ever shown any symptoms of anything before. We've both been in long term relationships and we've both had unprotected sex with others in the past. We've been having unprotected sex from the start. About three weeks ago she started on birth control. It's a patch. She's never used it before. Shortly after that shee started feeling ill and complained of pain in her lower region. We both thought it was because of the patch. She then came down with "flu" like symptoms. Shortly after, I came down with flu like symptoms as well. Now she's been suffering through little blisters, painfull urinating, small paper like cuts around the bottom of her vagina. I have been experiencing itchiness, burning, very small pimple like bumps around the shaft of my penis. It started as two spaced apart but there are about 7 now. They are all spaced apart from each other. They had what looked like whiteheads (keep in mind these are very small). I didn't pop any. I guess they popped on their own because they have now crusted over with a small scab. We both went to clinics the same day (each went to seperate clinics). Her doctor said from visual it looked like syptoms of herpes. He gave her a swabbing, pee test and a five day prescription for valtrex. My doctor said that my symptoms did not look herpes like. My pimples were small and scattered. No puss. He swabbed a couple of the pimples and I gave a urine sample. Now we are both waiting for results. I'm worried I might show as a false negative because there was no open wound on me at the time of test. We're both confused as how its possible that we can both be having these syptoms together at the same time when we've never really had any symptoms before. Is it common for this to happen with any STD? Thanks for any help or opinions.

Answer:
yes, very common to happen like this.........most likely you had the virus asymptomatically and was shedding it and didnt know.......she got it from you (he first primary outbreak, which definitely sounds like it based on what you wrote, she gets actual sores) which then the "active virus" in her sores gets retransferred to your skin and you finally get some visible symptoms as a result. Both go get BLOOD testing for herpes ASAP....dont wait a day....because it might be the only way to narrow down where this all came from.......if you have had it for a while you will test positive right away and she will test negative at first, unless her body has already prouced antibodies in response to the infection....

but it is most likely you had it and didnt know and then passed it to her because she sounds like she is definitely having her first outbreak after exposure. And it is common to have it, not know, give it to someone and then get "reinfected" in a sense from the active virus in the new sores of the infected person.

have you ever been tested before for herpes specifically by blood? if you are 32 i would hope that by now you would have had some sort of std testing by now but please know herpes is NOT included in standard std tests "for all stds" and most people dont realize this. Based on her age i would guess you had it just due to the fact that you have had at least 16 years more of sexual exposure to potentially have gotten it than her, though its not impossible she had it, but it just seems like you had it and never knew and she is now getting her first outbreak from being recently infected. Just my personal opinion. Get blood tests immediately...it might help somewhat but only if you get them today or tomorrow....who knows...as they cant be guarantees unless you test positive by blood right away and she tests negative at first and then positive. But it definitely is herpes i would bet my life on it.

Answer:
okay I'm confused by Boxofrains post . . .

my guess is that the patch is delivering a different level of hormone than she is used to and if she had a latent infection it could be triggered by the hormones.

let us know how the test results come out. if you have a negative test I recommend that you go back and have a second in a month and see if the numbers change.

Blood tests to request are the Herpeselect or Western Blot.

Answer:
Small update: Urine test came back negative. Still waiting for swab test.

Answer:
....that's all i have... urine test? What is this for...

Answer:
Urine test for chlamydia and gonnerhea

Answer:
Update #2: Swab tested positive for HSV 1.

Answer:
Seems like maybe you never had it and she had HSV1 and passed it on to you asymptomatically through oral sex. Ask her if she ever had cold sores.