Question:
hello,

Immediately after having sex and unknowingly getting infected, I washed my vaginal area as thoroughly as possible with liquid Dial (the antibacterial kind). I don't usually do this after sex, but for some strange reason I felt compelled to. Of course I didn't know my partner had it.

However, I did not wash the anal area after sex. (I did not have anal sex, but I had allowed my partner to "vigorously" rub his penis between my butt cheeks.)

Around the rectal area (aka between the butt cheeks) is where I had my first and only outbreak back in '03. I have never had an o.b. (to my knowledge) in the vaginal area. I very occasionally get symptoms (tingling/slight itching every few months) in the rectal area but never another outbreak there. I don't experience any symptoms in the vaginal area.

Of course I know that you can't go back in time, but I think about all this and wonder if washing the anal area thoroughly might have prevented myself from being infected? What do you think?

Based on what I've told you, is it "possible" that my vaginal area is not infected with HSV? I understand it's possible to accidentally spread the virus to other areas of your genitals after initial infection. However, I've been very careful not to do so... (i know only an outbreak and lab test could ever confirm)

Also, this seems like an ignorant question but I'm a bit confused -- do people get herpes outbreaks deep inside their vaginas? or even inside just past the entrance? That is, can someone get infected by being inside me or is it only contagious on the skin area around the genitals?

so many questions... I'm grateful to at least have a place to post them. Thanks.

Answer:
"Within a few days, sores appear near where the virus has entered the body, such as on the mouth, penis, or vagina. They also can occur inside the vagina and on the cervix in women, or in the urinary passage of women and men. "

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/stdherp.htm

Answer:
It just kinda pops up where it wants to. My initial ob I was broke out from front to back. The 4 obs after that were strictly anal obs, no vaginal at all. Now the last ob, was in between. In the "taint". Sorry but that's what my husband says.."taint ass but it taint pussy". LMAO We aren't southern, he's from Denver, so I don't know where he heard it. :roll:
But I don't know if there is any reason for breaking out in the anal area or the vaginal. There could be, but if there is, I'm not aware of it. I've heard alot of people here talking about anal obs when there was never any contact with that area during transmission. It just happens that way.