Justine1984

Hello there! Have you considered taking antivirals, Acyclovir or Valtrex? I took these everyday for the first 6 months that I was infected. They are safe, I didn't notice any side effect, and I did not have a single outbreak. Actually... I thought I did have an outbreak while I was on antivirals, but it turns out it was just vaginal irritation. My skin is rather sensitive. It was a huge relief when the swab came back negative because then I knew that the antivirals were working. But I had to stop using regular soap down there. The soap is what was causing me irritations. It's possible I started using a lot more soap after I was diagnosed with herpes, I an attempt to "stay clean." Pretty silly. I stopped taking antivirals 4 months ago and I've had only one outbreak since. And it was sooooo tiny. It was just one blister, so small it did not even pop. It was a little sensitive when I touched around it but didn't bother me otherwise. I remember looking at it and thinking "poor little virus, you look so small and ridiculous." That's when realized I won the most important battle over herpes: the psychological battle. Since then, I have not had a single outbreak. I'll take antivirals again when I start a new relationship, just to be safe, but right now I'm doing fine without. Your future outbreaks will be a lot less serious than the first as your immune system has started producing antibodies against herpes. Also, I find it cute that you feel "undeserving" of your boyfriend because he accepted that you have herpes. Didn't he give it to you in the first place? At least that's what happened to me. My ex didn't know that he had herpes. He never had any symptoms. We got tested for HIV but not for that. And bam. I caught it. I asked him to get tested thinking he probably gave it to me, which offended him a little. But when he got tested, he realized that he already had it. Oops. I was a little mad at him for not being more aware of his status, but I was guilty of the same neglect. I had never been tested for herpes before. Most people think: why get tested if I have no symptoms? Ok I talk too much. You're not alone. You are very far from being alone!

Jesus. What kind of life are you living? This woman was a stranger and a stripper, and you just went for it? Anyway, sorry this comment is not constructive. I'd love to know if you diagnostic came back. I hope you're clear, but be careful in the future. There are a lot of things much worse than herpes...

Hello, I am a 29 year old female, and I was recently diagnosed with genital HSV2. I have gone a long way accepting it in the last few days--lots of crying--but I think I'm starting to relativise, and even see this as an opportunity to live a better life and grow as a person. I live in San Francisco and would like to make friends who also have herpes (genital HSV2 preferably but not a requirement) and live in the same city. Male or female, preferably 25-40 but, again, not a requirement. Some days I'll feel sad and will need support, other days I can be there for you :) We're in this together! Don't hesitate to message me.

@ChanelChanel, thank you for your message. Please let me know how your test go. If we both have it in the same place, we can probably learn from each other :) Not super excited about what you say about cancer and child birth, but hopefully that can be controlled. Have a good day and feel better!

@WCSDancer2010, I asked my doctor for confirmation and she wasn't available but the nurse said they did a culture of the fluids they collected from my cervix. If there were sores on it, I assume their contents got into the mix. The fact is, they found HSV2. There is no questioning the diagnostic. I asked if they also tested me for HPV and they say they didn't. I'm going to go again in two weeks to get tested for that. It would really be a blow if I had that as well. And based on the statistics, I'm a little apprehensive. Also they agreed to send me a paper copy of my results. I guess I just had to insist a little :) I'm a bit worried right now because I did my 10 days of Acyclovir and I was feeling much better (they started the treatment before the results came in when they only suspected it could be herpes) but since I finished, 2 days ago, my headaches have come back and I started noticing a tiny bit of blood in my vaginal discharge. There is also a bit of external itching but again, no apparent sores. I wonder if I could be relapsing so early or if these are just the last symptoms of my first outbreak lingering? I know I've been feeling tired and extremely stressed out by it all. I've been crying a lot. I'm trying to get over it but I don't think I can start healing emotionally as long as I keep having symptoms. I feel "broken" and really isolated.

Ok, I will do that. They say they don't give a paper copy unless I go there and sign some docs. It's a bit annoying...

Probably it wasn't a pap smear then, just regular culturing (I thought that's what a pap smear meant?) but I am certain of the diagnostic.

Hello, I was recently diagnosed with genital HSV2. The diagnostic wasn't obvious as I had no apparent sores but a pap smear confirmed it. My doctor told me I had herpes on the cervix. I am unclear on what it means and entails. Does any of you have herpes on the cervix? Why does it elect location there rather than "outside"? Is there any risk for fertility and child birth? What do outbreaks feel like/look like, and how do you care for them? Thank you very much for sharing your story!

Hello, Thank you for your response. I asked my boyfriend to get tested and he said he would but he hasn't so far. He's been assuming that he already had herpes. Yes, there is a slight chance that I may have been the one carrying the virus this whole time. My immune system has been very weak recently, and I wouldn't be surprised if I just showed symptoms now because of this weakness (and not because of a recent infection). We talked about this possibility and he said: "What if I find out that I don't have it? What's the point? We're not going to stop having sex." I told him that I could go on suppressive therapy but still, he doesn't seem worried about herpes that much. Fascinating. In any case, thank you for your response. I love this forum. It makes me see herpes as an opportunity to grow as a person, not as something shameful anymore.

Hello, First, I want to say I'm happy and grateful this forum exists. I've been feeling rather lonely in the past few days... I recently got diagnosed with HSV2. My partner did not know he had it. We had the STD talk at the beginning of our relationship and both got tested for HIV--the tests came negative. The person counseling us (at the free testing center) recommended that we do not worry about HSV if neither of us had ever had any symptoms. He said it was such a common disease that learning that one of us had it would cause us more worry than necessary... Guess what? It turns out one of us had it! At least this is the assumption we're making now: my boyfriend had a silent infection which he gave me. I had my first outbreak just a week ago. I initially mistook it for a yeast infection as it was itching and burning (I had no sores, only 2 subtle bumps) but the fever and headaches made me think it could be something else. I went to my doctor and she ran some tests. The results came in yesterday: HSV2 positive. I'm a bit shaken right now, trying to adjust to what it means for me to have Herpes. Reading about it helps a lot. I'm upset I got herpes but I'm not upset at my partner. He had no symptoms. And I knew he was sexually active before we met. I knew what I was getting into. More specifically, I didn't want to know... ANYWAY. Since we both have HSV2 now, my questions are: 1) Can we still have wild, unprotected sex together, or do we have to be careful? And by wild I mean the regular stuff: oral sex, vaginal intercouse, playing and licking... 2) Can symptoms (in my case) spread to other parts of the body? For instance, could I end up with HSV2 sores around my mouth if I keep giving him oral sex? 3) I feel a bit self conscious about sex in general, and oral sex in particular. Maybe it's because I'm new to it but I can't help thinking that we would be "licking each other's herpes." How do you get over that? 4) We do not plan on having sex if/when we have outbreaks, but since my outbreaks are relatively hidden (on the cervix) I may not always be initially aware that I have one. What are the risks of having sex when one of us has an outbreak? Can it make the infection worse? Pardon me if these questions are graphic. I just want to make sure I understand my body and the risks associated with this new condition. Thank you very much for your help! Now I'm going to go back to reading and crying. Hopefully the crying will stop soon.