endlessworrier

Hi @adrial, I was wondering how this works as well -- can you PM me some information as well, please.

@ash2018 yes, seconding this. Terri Warren has actually said this a number of times, one of the latest of which was just a couple of days ago in this thread: https://www.westoverheights.com/forum/question/positive-hsv2-1-5-2-days-after-possible-exposure/ "While OUTBREAKS can occur anywhere in the boxer shorts area, virus can be shed only from mucous membrane or very thin skin like the penis or anus. The buttocks, thighs and belly do not shed only there are lesions present as the skin is too thick for virus to get out."

I think I should toss back some advice you gave to me, and that is, there are a million other things that can cause irritation, and if you're 98% sure the irritation is from shaving, it probably is :) Irritation and little nicks are destined to happen when we're twisting and dragging a sharp (and relatively large) razor around our business. I bet you've always experienced a small bit of irritation after shaving before your diagnosis and never gave it a second thought, so find some comfort in keeping in mind that that's most likely what you're experiencing now, too! And even if the irritation remains or progresses after a day or two, I bet that wouldn't be the first time you got a couple of razor bumps after shaving, right? Take a deep breath and know it'll be fine either way... but that it's most likely the same irritation most women get after a little grooming. Lastly, I don't know how comfortable you are with waxing, but that seems to be WAY less irritating to my skin. I know some people worry about it causing an outbreak in itself, so I guess that's a choice for you to make, but I personally get way less irritation through waxing vs. shaving, and it seems to keep things smoother for longer, AND as the hair grows back it's nowhere near as rough or itchy.

@Neewbiehsv1g That is awesome advice. Our vaginas are so complex, but I guess it's just easy to go down an STI spiral, especially when something changes after a new partner. I've read quite a bit on interstitial cystitis and consulted with a urologist some months ago, so that has been ruled out. That was a relief, but of course not having an answer for ongoing pain is still frustrating. I am heading to a specialist soon and am looking forward to hearing their take. Thank you for replying!

@ash2018 Thank you for responding, and I'd also just like to say that as I've browsed this site, your optimism and willingness to chime in to help people brings such a smile to my face! It's people like you (and many others on this forum) that keep me feeling so hopeful despite the scare and uncertainty surrounding my status. I actually had an appointment with my gyno yesterday and was able to ask about other vulvar pain issues, and now have a referral to a specialist, which will hopefully help me get to the bottom of this one way or another. Thanks again, and keep being awesome! :)

@hippyherpy Thank you for the detailed reply and your thoughts on the larger picture. I'd hoped I'd indicated as much in my initial post, but I want to say again how much this forum helped me come to realize how much I agree with all you've said. I get that the stigma is the problem for the most part, and not the infection. However, the reason it feels like a huge deal, is because IF what I have been experiencing is due to herpes, it means my symptoms are quite atypical in that they've caused nearly 5 months of non-stop pain. I agree a short lived skin irritation every so often probably isn't a big deal, but that hasn't been my personal experience (granted, I understand it's unlikely - if not impossible - that herpes is causing my symptoms). I just wanted to clarify that my anxiety isn't entirely driven by the stigma, but rather this unexplained, persistent, 3 doctors and 3 tests later, pain :( The great thing that came out of this is undoubtedly finding my way here, and knowing that as common as herpes is, it isn't worth fearing and missing out on connecting with great people. Thanks again!

@JeffH Haha, thank you, the definitive tone of your comment made me smile, which isn't something I've done a whole lot of while trying to wrap my head around this pain and these symptoms! What's funny is, everything you've said, I've read a hundred times over the months. However, having those words specifically directed at me actually really helped ease my mind quite a bit. Now, if not herpes, the question is just trying to figure out what actually IS going on. Thanks again for taking the time to write.

@Bambina3 I suspect there's a lot of truth to what you said! I knew anxiety was an issue for me, but I actually hadn't displayed many characteristics of OCD until this ordeal surfaced, and it is definitely something I am exploring in therapy. I will likely test at the 6 month mark, however I don't want to fuel the behavior by compulsively testing when I've already received 3 negatives, albeit only one in the first 'true definitive' timeline. I appreciate your comment and find so much value and comfort in the wise words and supportive nature of this forum :)

@Sil88 Thank you so much for providing that link, there were a lot of helpful insight there. As for what I'm getting out of constantly worrying about it, nothing. However, I think what I failed to articulate is that a pain had persisted, non-stop, for months on end. If there was no pain, I suspect I'd be "over it". That said, the link you provided has really made me take a closer look at what degree of my pain is legitimate, and how much is exacerbated by my anxiety.

First, I want to say that I’m tremendously grateful to have stumbled upon this forum. I admit that I found it through endless web searching after fearing I’d contracted herpes. Before I get into my story, I should say that the reason I’m so glad this community exists is because for the first time in months where I was making myself sick with worry over a possible positive diagnosis, reading the posts from many of you made me realize that while I certainly don’t want herpes, I need to stop thinking that the world would be over even if I did contract it! That may sound like a simple thought to many people, but it honestly didn’t seem like an option to me that life could go on until I read many of the posts here. So thank you again! I apologize if my post is disrespectful as I know you should have confirmed herpes to be here, but... I hope it's OK that I'm here. My story: I have actually repeatedly tested negative for HSV1 and HSV2, but I am curious how likely it is that I’m receiving false negative results? I’ve read the stats endlessly, but my symptoms don’t align with anything else and I am hoping that talking to people who actually live with and experience the symptoms of HSV, you would be willing to share your thoughts. My exposure is a single, protected vaginal encounter (I am a female and there was no oral sex). About a week and a half after having sex, I developed a UTI. I went on antibiotics, and while the frequent urination that alerted me to the UTI subsided, I developed a constant burning in my urethra; the burning was more a nerve-like pain, not a burning sensation on the surface of the skin, and there were no ulcers or breaks in the skin (no pain at all while urinating). This lasted for two months, non stop. The pain then began to move, and is now focused in my perineum/anal area and persists, 4 months later. While the pain occasionally moves from left to right, it is primarily only felt on one side. I’ve also had a general tingling/burning in my vaginal area. I have been examined by my primary care physician, a gynecologist, as well as a urologist. I took IGG tests at 2 weeks, 10 weeks, and 16.5 weeks after exposure. I am showing negative (<.9) every time. After my 10 week test, I had diarrhea for about two weeks (sorry, TMI). I then had what I otherwise probably would have thought was a fissure/tear from constant wiping, but in combination with all of my other symptoms, I assumed it was a herpes ulcer, and that my tests just weren’t positive yet. I couldn’t get a swab done, because the cuts simply heal in one day, like a paper cut! It was never particularly painful, just stung a little bit when I wiped. I spent the next weeks convinced I had herpes and was really trying to accept it. Then I had my 16 week IGG test and couldn’t believe it was negative! At this point, my doctor thinks I am a hypochondriac and is quite unsupportive of me and any further testing. I should mention that I suffer from depression and anxiety, so this isn’t particularly helpful. I am on fine terms with the person who I slept with, though we are no longer pursuing anything romantic, and especially after showing him my negative IGG results, he says that he had no reason to suspect HSV before, and has no reason to test now knowing I've tested negative. It sounds sketchy, in one light, perhaps that he may think I "escaped" his infection, or if he truly sleeps with so few people that *I* was his only worry and I shared test results, he might be concluding there's zero reason he should pursue testing himself if my tests say I'm negative! I guess what I’m asking is, do you know people who have seroconverted after 16 weeks, being negative for HSV1, and never taking any antivirals? How likely is it that my blood tests are showing a FALSE negative ELISA at 16 weeks?? And if not herpes, what in the world is causing mostly single-sided (left) nerve pain, quick healing cuts/fissures, all of which began shortly after a new sex partner? Just to repeat, I get a paper cut like lesion, it develops only after constantly spreading the skin to check what's going on throughout the day and it begins to heal within hours after I stop touching it. No blisters. No ulcers. No extreme pain. But again, none of this existed prior to the new sex parter, or prior to the UTI. Any help before I drive myself crazy? I don't know what kind of doctor to see next. Sorry, one more relevant detail: I have been checked for yeast and fungal infections, all negative. I currently have 3 doctors stumped :(