Question:
Okay I have a few question. I may have been exposed. I am pretty sur eI have had oral herpes type 1 for a long long time. I have gotten cold sores as long as I can remember. but I have been with a woman who may have been carrying type 2. she swears she isn't though.... yeah.... anyway, I hvae gotten a rash similar to what I got after swinning all day when I was a kid running a round in wet shorts. and gotten an ingrown hair and some pimple like bumps. I am curious if type to can present in differnt forms in the same person? I know everyone present differently. also none of these have been painful at all, and all of them usually only last a day or so. all my research suggests herpes usually last 3 days or longer. I am going to try and get toa doctor tommorrow. but I was curious about an educated persons opionons on this. I have read that the first outbreak is pretty rogh and this would be my first outbreak and nothing relalt to mention is going on. so I wonder if it even is herpes or maybe if the fact that I have type 1 is makeing the symptoms very minor and my type 1 antibodies are already suppressing the type 2 virus.
also I seem to be finding mixed answers on how it spreads. can it spread in fluids? or only through direct contact?

Answer:
I've observed that symptoms for men and women are vastly different. Our plumbing is so different that it would be difficult to predict how the same viral infection is going to react in either a man or a woman. further there are various mutations of the strands of hsv that account for the frequency and severity of herpes ob's from person to person.

When you throw in our personal immune systems and how they can vary you really have a wide range of answers for what is a herpes infection.

The only way to know if you have herpes is to get tested and get a positive test result. Even that is difficult because this virus, as much as it is equal opportunity, likes to play games of hide and seek.

If you are even getting the slightest of symptoms regardless of whether they are classic get tested. Get a swab test of sores if they are present and if not try to get a Western Blot blood test. If neither are available ask for herpes specific blood work and look for the IgG result to tell you if you have antibodies to the virus.

the virus makes contact with the skin, moves like greased lightening and takes up residence in your nervous system. your body usually will react as if it has come into contact with poison oak and will usually get blisters that itch like crazy. It is a true allergic type reaction that can be accompanied by fever and flu symptoms including head and body aches.

It does not reside in your blood, urine, ejaculate or saliva but if you have an oral infection the saliva can help to spread it.

Answer:
keep in mind that you may not get classic symptoms and it still can be herpes. Only a test can detect it.

Answer:
thank you very much for your response. I'm planning on trying to find a doc today.

Answer:
well the doc seemd pretty positive its just ingrown hair folicals. did a swab and some other tests to be sure. but she was pretty confident I have nothing to worrie about.

Answer:
I guess I posted my response in the wrong post. I did not realize that there was an unsure post.
When you say that your body reacts to it like poison oak, do you itch everywhere? Or do you itch in places where the blisters will pop up?
I am so confused. Originally I had burning and major irritation.
I could have been exposed to the virus about 2 1/2 weeks ago. The burning and irritation started first. I had abdominal cramps, went to the doc. 4 times and had exams, but they were not sure what it could be.
My face, particularly my nose, has been itching a whole lot lately. Does that mean I am going to get an ob on my face???

Answer:
The reason why I want to be tested is because I had "relations" with a man outside of my marriage. I do know this man, but he has since cut off all communication when I asked about STD information. We had unprotected sex (both kinds). Two days after my mistake, is when I got the strange discharge and burning. After Chylmadia(sp) and Gonorrhea were ruled out and I was given antibiotics and my symptoms persisted, I thought Herpes because of the way my friend downstairs looked. She was very red, and I could see areas where it look as though the skin was rubbed raw, if you know what I mean. I don't know of anyother way to describe it. I went in to the clinic and she looked at it and said everything looked normal. I didn't know that I had to tell her to culture my "rubbed raw skin". I guess each case is different and mine may not have been a "normal" outbreak with the ulcers.
It appeared as sores to me. I looked again today, and it looks as though "she" is getting less red. So could it be possible that it was an ob?
I just want to make sure if I do or do not have it before my husband and I have intercourse. I have told him about my mistake, and I don't think he will stick around if I test positive for any STD, especially herpes.
I have been drinking a lot of freshly made juice with fresh fruit and vegetables. It seems as though I starting feeling better since then. FOr the past 2 1/2 weeks, I have not eaten a whole lot. I can not relax. I just feel so alone.

Answer:
Procrastinating and waiting for the perfect answer from this forum is not going to get you tested. If you want my honest opinion you go and get tested right away. Preferable if you have an active ob of any kind you get the skin swabbed.

Testing with bloodwork is not reliable until many weeks after exposure because it is dependent upon antibody production which can take as long as 16 weeks after exposure.

It seems to be a consensus here that most drs are clueless. They misdiagnose frequently, people end up with false negative test results or they are told that it doesn't look like herpes when it actually ends up being herpes. I think this is because dr's may have studied herpes in theory and haven't actually seen it often enough to know how varied the symptoms are.

Go and get tested.

Answer:
I've had exams several times. If they are telling me that it does not look like herpes.. and I am just experiencing burning.. what do they test--other than my blood?