Test results aren’t back yet, but....

[AmbrosiaKnight]

Hi all.

Had some flu-like symptoms late last week, but when I found painful genital bumps and some discharge I went to urgent care. At first I thought it was a yeast infection but the doc glanced at it for two seconds and said it looked like herpes. I have every symptom so we’re going with 90-95% certainty at this point, and expecting HSV-2.

This is my first outbreak, obviously. I’ve done a lot of research but still have some questions.

- I first noticed the sores on Friday and I don’t believe any of them have cracked open yet. How long does that typically take? Which stage is more painful? When does the itching stop?

- My boyfriend and I have sex almost daily, up until about last Thursday. What are the chances he would test positive despite being asymptomatic? I’m keeping him up to date on all this, of course. 

- My fever is gone for now, but might it come back? I’m supposed to have surgery tomorrow. It’s fairly major and I don’t want to jeapordize my healing. (Don’t worry, I already called my surgeon, she said we’re  most likely good to go)

- Are there any ways to minimize itching and pain that I wouldn’t have come across already? I’ve been soaking in warm baths, using corn starch to keep everything dry to an extent. (I am a transgender man on testosterone but pre-op, meaning I have a vulva but the effects of hormone replacement have cause clitoral tissue to grow into a micropenis. Please don’t ask questions about my gender or genitals unless they’re relevant, and refer to me as a man and using he/him pronouns)

- I should have my antiviral prescription by today, but everything I’ve read said that even with that, the effects still can last up to 4 weeks. Does it actually do anything to reduce pain or length of symptoms?

 

Sorry, I know that’s a lot of questions. I just like to have all the information. Thanks for accepting me onto the forum!

[Ishmael]

Hi Mystihorse, sorry to hear about your condition. Regarding the timeline of a herpes outbreak, it can really vary from person to person. Typically, the unruptured sores will stay there for a couple days, then when they open it can take a week or so before they crust over and heal, but again your mileage may vary. All told, four weeks from start to finish is pretty typical for a first outbreal.As for your boyfriend, how long have you been dating? If this is your first outbreak, and you haven't had sex with other people in a few weeks or months, it's highly likely (although not at all certain) that you got it from him. If he has never noticed symptoms, he might be asymptomatic. 

For dealing with some of the symptoms, check this out: https://www.wikihow.com/Treat-Herpes

Antivirals do reduce the pain because they reduce the length of the outbreak. If you take them regularly, they should also reduce the frequency of your outbreaks. 

Some good news: For most people, the first outbreak is the worst one. Also, over the course of the first year, people tend to have the most outbreaks, and then their bodies get more used to the virus and over time the outbreaks get less frequent and their duration shortens.