How is this possible??

[Voguegirl]

Hello everyone!  I'm new here and so glad to have found this forum 🙂

I am 39, been in a monogamous relationship with my husband for 11 years. Over a year ago, a biopsy of sores on my upper thigh showed that I had HSV (they didn't specify type). At the time, they told me it was probably shingles as I was super tired and sick too... until it came back 6 months later. The latest outbreak was 4 inches from the first location on my sacrum- something the doctor said wouldn't happen, but I am not finding online that it can. 

My internal medicine doctor, GYN, and dermatologist have all said that it "just happens sometimes" and I could have picked HSV up at a pool or although rare from a toilet seat (I was working at a stadium using public toilets and at a relative's home who has HSV a few weeks prior to the first outbreak). It's bothering me so much though not to have any idea where it came from. I have 2 small kids, and I'm terrified that if I could pass it along to them. 

Has anyone else gotten HSV and had no idea how?  Or had it be dormant for over a decade before initial outbreak?

Does anyone have experience with sores "traveling" along a nerve or appearing in different locations?

Worried something is wrong now, but doctors don't seem to have a lot of answers so hoping someone here might know more from experience. Thanks for listening and thanks in advance for any advice 🙂 

 

[Ihavequestions]

You can't get it from a pool or toilet seat. Did you ever get a blood igg test in the last 10 years? People can have it for decades and not have a outbreak. You may of had it for years and just didn't know. 

[Voguegirl]

Thank you so much for your response!  I don't think I had an igg test- at least one that screened for HSV.  The doctor screened for HIV and a bunch of other stuff when I was pregnant in that time and said everything was clear, but I don't know for sure that HSV was included in that screening. 

Do people who experience it being dormant and then all of a sudden active after so many years? It would have to be at least 13 years since exposure. 

[hope27]

I read here one member found out she is hsv+ after 10 years. So I will say yes it is possible 

[esdbec0713]

Herpes is in a family of viruses that includes CMV, chickenpox/shingles, mono so yes it could of been dormant all this time. 

[Ihavequestions]

I was just pregnant and hsv was not included in my testing. I was checked for everything else besides hsv and hpv. 

[Voguegirl]

Thank you all! Very good to know my kids are safe using the bathroom after me.

Ihavequestions- interesting- I bet it wasn't included in mine either. I just never would have known it could be dormant so long. From what I'm reading, hormones seem to play a big part in herpes for women. Would be interesting if pregnancy etc could have actually made it come out after all these years.