Question:
I just got a call from my ex-girlfriend of 3 years ago. I did stupidly sleep with her in November, with a condom. She told me that she just had been diagnosed with herpes and the doctors told her that she had it for a year. Unfortunately since that time in November I've had sex with four different girls, all of whom I contacted and told me that they never had a symptom. The fourth girl I have been currently dating since april, and although she did have discomfort initially following heavy sex (she had not been having sex in the past 2 years before she met me) the discomfort quickly went away with hydro cortisone cream. So my question to you all is, is it possible that five people (including me) can go this long without a typical outbreak? and can an initial outbreak subside with hydocortisone? I also can not remember back to that time too well, but I do remember having some irritation in one small solid elongated oval area on my shaft, that I thought was from my stiff workpants. The irritation was constantly rubbing against the pants until I switched to a softer fabric. A scab appeared but a scar still remains, which I have been reading is not typical of the herpes virus. So my last question is, do any of you have a scar from a small outbreak?

Thank you so very much, I am currently scheduled for a blood test but my anxiety and unsureness is keeping me from sleeping and eating.:confused:

Answer:
The irritation you describe that you had doesn't really sound like a herpes ob, especially since you say it left a scar. And it seems odd to me that, if you were passing the virus around without knowing it, no one has developed any symptoms typical of herpes. It's good that you're having a test done, even though you may not show symptoms, because you've been exposed. I do hope it's negative, but if not, I'm sure you'll advise the other girls of your status.

I know it's hard, but try to keep your anxiety in check. There is nothing to be done now to change the outcome, so try to stay calm until you see how this plays out. Although there is a chance you did contract the virus, there is also a chance that you didn't. You've acted responsibly and done all you can for now, and that's admirable. I sincerely hope your test comes back negative. Keep us posted, okay?

Answer:
Thank you so much, you have really helped calm me down. I had another question I've been thinking about all day...that since her first noticeable outbreak was just now, was the doctor absolutely correct in assuming she has had HP2 for a year? Is there a test to determine how long the virus has been in your body?

Answer:
The dr was making a guesstimate of the time of infection based on the production of antibodies.

Usually it takes several months for an individual to develop an antibody "recipe" that can successfully control the herpes ob's. In reality the antibodies just keep the virus in check when the immune system is working at its best. When the virus becomes active due to stress, triggers etc. the body gets out its proven "recipe" and sends the troops (antibodies).

For some people their immune systems are very strong and they develop antibodies quickly and others take some time.

It is possible that the time frame was less than a year. It would be impossible to know for sure unless she new for certain she had never been infected before, had contact with someone she knew was infected and had an immediate ob with which to calculate the time of infection.

Make sense?

Answer:
hispes4: i have no scarring (I am female).

Answer:
That absolutely makes sense, thank you for your informed response. I hope you don't mind another quick question, but does the body continually produce anitbodies, or do they plateau after a certain amount of months to a certain level?