Are there any actual facts about herpes?

[Lady_j988]

Since I was diagnosed with genital herpes I have seen 3 doctor's, one was the one who gave me my diagnosis, the second was a female family doctor, and the third was a obgyn. I have heard so many different things from each doctor that I'm so confused it's ridiculous. One tells me you can only pass it to someone if you have an outbreak,another said the virus sheds at any given moment or time, and the other said it only sheds right before an outbreak, shit which is it. Two doctor tells me blood work is the most accurate way to diagnose herpes and the obgyn tells me blood work is not always accurate, it's not able to distinguish between oral herpes and genital herpes and a couture is the only way to really truly tell. She then proceeded to tell me she was going to take a couture for it. She told me non of my symptoms were like anyone else with genital herpes, it's was never filled with puss, it never stabbed over, and I was never in any pain.it stinged when I touched it but that was about it. So I'm so confused this is ridiculous, I think maybe why there's no cure because no one really under stands the herpes virus. Really could use some of the veterans insight on this one. Or anyone's actually.

Thanks a million for listening and being here for me and everyone else during this trying time!

[mr_hopp]

Yes, there are plenty of facts about herpes, but unfortunately not many doctors know them. ;) But that's where H Opp comes in! *Superhero theme music begins to play*

 

Seriously though, don't listen to these doctors who are giving you conflicting information. If anything, you get to now educate them on the facts. Bring them the handouts. Send them the links below.

 

Here are a whole slew of ways to get knowledgeable about the questions you're asking about:

 

Handouts + e-book (these handouts are GOLDEN for summarizing all the facts):

http://eepurl.com/b4IPP

 

You can transmit herpes even when an outbreak isn't visible. It's called asymptomatic viral shedding.

http://herpeslife.com/what-is-herpes-asymptomatic-viral-shedding/

http://herpeslife.com/how-can-you-get-herpes/

 

Blood work is the best way to find out if you have herpes IF you aren't having any visible outbreaks. (A culture is the absolute best way to find out if you have herpes IF you're having a visible outbreak or something that looks like an outbreak.) IgG tests are the most widely available (but have been known to produce false positives/negatives), but Western Blot is the most accurate (but hard to get). And it's correct that you can't tell whether it's genital herpes or oral herpes simply from a blood test. Herpes outbreaks don't always contain puss or liquid. Sometimes they look like fissures or breaks in the skin. A lot of how herpes outbreaks end up looking is what kind of skin they are on.

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-tests

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-outbreak/

http://herpeslife.com/pictures-of-genital-herpes/

[Lady_j988]

Wow, so if they can't tell if it's oral or genital herpes by a blood test, why did they diagnose me as having genital herpes

[mr_hopp]

Good question. :) Because if you get a blood test that comes up positive for HSV-2, there's a 99% chance that it's genital herpes because HSV-2 overwhelmingly prefers camping out on the genitals as opposed to the mouth. If it came back positive for HSV-1, then it'd most likely be oral herpes, but it could also be genital (since 50% of all new genital herpes cases are HSV-1 due to oral sex).

 

Here's an article that explains it all:

http://herpeslife.com/hsv-1-hsv-2-types-of-herpes/

[Lady_j988]

Thank you aerial I now see why she wants to take a coulture, hsv 2 sheds 15 to 30 percent of the time and my boyfriend for the past 2 years and we've never used a condom is herpes free.all his test came back negative. So in order to not pass it a long to your partner you need to use daily suppressants and a condom and that cuts the chances down by 97 percent, correct?

[mr_hopp]

If you use daily suppressive therapy AND condoms, the chances of passing herpes to a man (less mucous membrane on the penis than a vagina) is down to 1% (see the handouts I gave you earlier for all those details). But even though it's still a ridiculously low chance of passing herpes to your man, still be aware of your prodrome symptoms and avoid having sex when you feel an outbreak might be coming on. It's super sexy to keep your partner as safe as possible, even with such a low risk.

 

Here's a video I did on that:

http://herpeslife.com/keeping-your-partner-herpes-free-can-be-super-sexy/

 

... and here's an article I wrote on prodrome symptoms (you're getting the full education today, aren't you?): :)

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-prodrome-symptoms

[WCSDancer2010]

You have no idea how many times I want to go postal on some Doctors ..... and yes, that's why this virus is spread as much as it is...because the people we TRUST to know these things are horridly behind the times. The ones that are *usually* the most up to date are the OBGYN's because they deal with it the most....

 

For the other Dr's, definitely take the handouts to them ... in fact, if you can, print and take a bunch and ask them to shut their mouths and just hand them out :p

 

However, Doctors also believe (perhaps for good reason sometimes) that those of us with these things don't know what we are talking about and they may brush off the Handouts as inaccurate because they are not from an "official" source that is meant to be an "authority". So you may want to also take the following with you and tell them they need to get up to date on their knowledge... esp the one that told you you can only shed during an OB :/

 

You may want to underline/highlight the paragraph I copied so they can't miss it :(

 

http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/STDFact-Herpes-detailed.htm

 

How do people get genital herpes?

 

Infections are transmitted through contact with lesions, mucosal surfaces, genital secretions, or oral secretions. HSV-1 and HSV-2 can also be shed from skin that looks normal. In persons with asymptomatic HSV-2 infections, genital HSV shedding occurs on 10% of days, and on most of those days the person has no signs or symptoms. [4] Generally, a person can only get HSV-2 infection during sexual contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. Transmission most commonly occurs from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know that he or she is infected. [5]

 

A Doctor can't argue with the CDC's info .... so you would be doing a public service to any future patients if you took this to them the next time you see them :(

 

Glad you found us ... it's so frustrating to hear people almost every day on here getting inaccurate/conflicting info from doctors :(

 

(((HUGS)))

 

[lasko]

my OB never scab either. or have pus or hurt. so sounds like youre similar to me. i had a swab done an it came back +HSV2.

[Lady_j988]

Lasko was it only one sore, I wonder why some people are in pain, have burning sensations, itching, tingling, and the whole 9 and some dont.i wonder does that mean were not as contagious as others who do? So many questions, my mom said I'm going to drive myself crazy researching and praying the blood test was wrong.but after experiencing what I think is my first out break, I think I'll be just fine, just gotta get to know my body, with symptoms like mine it's hard to pinpoint when I might be having an outbreak since there so mild. And YES, Mr.H Opp I'm getting a lot of education about herpes, thanks so much.

[Lady_j988]

I've learned that herpes can happen to anyone and everyone. In school they taught you to wear a condom and always check a man's pens for bumps or anything of the sort on a man. But how do you avoid something that may not have any symptoms along with it and can be spread even when there is nothing there, and even if you do use a condom it can possibly affect other parts of your vagina, buttocks, and thighs. Smh, ok I'm done ranting, lol. Thanks again!

[WCSDancer2010]

No. .. Just because you have fewer or less intense OB 's doesn't mean you are less contagious. .. the vast majority of cases are passed on by people who are asymptomatic ... most of whom don't know they have the virus. Yes you are more contagious during an OB ... But outside of that there is no way to know how often you personally are shedding the virus.

 

And your are right about the inaccuracy in sex ed in the schools. . And believe me, it frustrates the hell out of us here too. .. hopefully we will be able to Lunt an educational campaign in the not too distant future :)

[Lady_j988]

So I just got my coulture back and it came back negative for herpes, how accurate is this coulture. Because the blood test said I had herpes. The obgyn told me I have the virus just they don't know where it will pop up at, if I even have an outbreak. So it could be oral or genital she doesn't know until I have an actual outbreak....My problem with the coulture she took was that it was takin 3 weeks after this sore popped up, I asked her was it a chance that it came back because it's starting to heal.Her words exactly were, as long as there's still a lesion or cut there it can still be tested for herpes because herpes is contagious and can still be passes on from one person to another from the prodrome symptoms until the sore is gone. Is this true

[WCSDancer2010]

What did the blood test say you have? HSV 1 or 2? If it was HSV1, odds are more towards you having it orally ... simply because to come up H+ in the blood test means you've have it at least 4 months and the majority of people with H1 have it orally. If the blood test came back H2, then it's 99% that it's genital simply because only 1% of all oral herpes is H2....

 

The culture is accurate *if* they get a good amount of the virus ... it they did the swab when the lesion was starting to heal, there may not have been enough virus for them to get a good "catch"".... certainly 3 weeks after the lesion erupted sounds like it was too late for a reliable result.

[Lady_j988]

I think your right dancer, thanks