Is their any particular reason why the pictures on the net mostly show the real bad herpes outbreak on ppl? I mean is their a reason why they got it that bad!? (on face, body etc..) because If I do have herpes.. i dont want it to go out of control like these ppl have.. or was it because they did something or let something go for too long? I know we all have diff symtoms but whats the diff between a full blown out break to a person with 1 pimple like outbreak?

I think herpes treats everyone differently....My ob's aren't bumps or blisters at all, they are more of a tingling/pinch/burn feeling. The internet pictures, in my opinion are "worst case senerio"...extreme cases....Which can be very frustrating, for 1st. time possible herpes - researchers. Maybe the pictures are showing that herpes, can be spread to other parts of the body. But, those pictures are definitely the extreme!!!!
Hope this was somewhat helpful....-ShinyOrn

Wow... thats all you get in ur ob's? how long have u been diagnosed with H? Well id hope to be lucky like you.. Is it also possible to like bandade the area infected as a patch or block so it cant spread to the skin on the other side or anywhere else or no matter what if its in ur system it comes out where ever it does?

I was disgnosised about 2 yrs. ago, this past October. My ob's in the 1st. year were a nightmare, it seemed like as soon as one would start another one would end. It was a vicious cycle. I've read/heard that ob's get better with time. I think "learning" your body is the key....and recognizing the symptons as they begin, and treating it, seems to lessen the intensity/duration of the ob. But, the way, mine is gential. I don't think a bandage would work....Keep in mind it's a virus - that lives in your body....It can be spread thru open wounds/broken skin or thin genital tissue. My ob feelings are usually in the same area and I haven't had it show up anywhere else. As she crosses her fingers & toes....-ShinyOrn

This question is for Shinyornament, or whom ever can also answer. I am asking since your symptoms in the first year sound like mine, one outbreak begins as another is clearing up. Did you have a difficult time getting a positive diagnosis? And what method were you diagnosed, a culture or blood test and within what time period after the onset of symptoms? I have had two blood tests come back negative. One was 14 weeks after onset of symptoms and the other was 17 weeks. I was tested for HSVI and II and both are negative. I was wondering since my body can't seem to get rid of it, due to the constant outbreaks, if maybe it might not have made antibodies to the virus. I wonder if that may be why my tests keep coming back negative??

Oceanus ~
I was diagnosised via swab culture @ my first ob....My 1st. ob, consisted of small clusters of clear liquid filled bumps. They resembled a "burn injury". My initial ob was about 2-5 days, after exposure. And I went to my ob-gyn., for the culture. The doctor, prescribed Valtrex, at the time, he said it looked like herpes to him and of course, when the culture came back positive - he was right! I've never had a blood test to confirm the type....But, I know it's HSV-2, just from all that I've been reading. My "partner" also, has HSV-2 genitally and had for years...although, he "thought" it went away, until his herpes, flared up - some 17yrs. later. I believe he was uninformed, by lack of education. Of course, this was prior to our internet-days.....
Hopefully, I answered some of your ???'s if not, then ask some more.......-ShinyOrn.

Ocean -

You are most likely correct. Until your body develops antibodies, your blood will not test positive for either Herpes virus. But if you are having outbreaks, your doctor can take a culture from the sores and determine if it is herpes or not. You won't know if it is HSV I or HSV II from a culture, but in today's "informed" world - it doesn't matter - both can occur in both parts of your body - it just matters where exposure first took place.

Also - once you develop antibodies (some people develop them right away and thus do not have any sort of physical outbreaks and some people take a full year to develop them), your outbreaks SHOULD reduce greatly, both in severity and in the number of outbreaks you have. Many people stop having outbreaks all together after development of antibodies. After your body has the antibodies, it is EXTREMELY hard to spread herpes to another part of your body, so no need to deal with bandages over outbreaks.

My first ob occured 2 months after the time i believed i would have been infected. I also caught mine due to lack of knowledge on mine and my partners behalves. He had had type 2 for 20 years with only 5 known ob's and hadn't had one for about 10 years and we both unfortunately believed that a condom would be sufficient protection!!

My doctor told me the rash-like area on the edge of my anal spot was due to heat/sweat and to ignore it. I knew this could be the case so when to a sexual health clinic and a nurse took a swab and it came back positive for type 2.

As for pic's on the net.... I never found those sites to be very helpful. Unfortunately most doctors also go by pic's on the net and if they visually observe something odd genitally and it doesn't look like the severe cases on the net, a lot of doc's will dismiss it as NOT being herpes, which doesn't help at all. Surely the least they could do is a swab!!!! No wonder this virus is still spreading like crazy, when doc's are even less educated on this subject than contributers on this board!!!!

I agree with Shiny, a bandaid wont help as it's a virus which is inside of you, not some sore on the outside which can be covered so it wont spread. Some people do get sores like those on the net and it could be due to a low immune system or a very bad first ob or if a person has an unhealthy lifestyle, has too much stress and anxiety, these can all be contributors.

Shiny is also correct about learning about "your" body and how it operates regarding herpes. Some people don't get physically obvious symptoms, they may get an itch/tingle/burning sensation, others might get a red area or a "paper cut" like appearance on the skin, rash like symptoms which some people think is jock itch and then you have the people who get actual little blisters which might sting/itch and then there are those who get blisters which end up looking like sores once the blisters burst. I've been checking out this particular board topic for just over a year and with all the contributors i've very rarely come across two people who have identical symptoms and scenarios. Everybody appears to be unique. Even in the way they treat themselves eg: herbs, vitamins, supplements, foods which work for one person wont necessarily work for another.

all of this information helps greatly!!!!! Its really educating me in this area and I greatly appriciate all who have given their share! Anyhow I was wondering.. what makes herpes pop up in a particular area and not another? I mean in my area, where I believe its coming from is in a very akward postion for any skin contact to have happened.... however (not to get to graphic) maybe from the juices from both body seeping down my body?

As far as i'm aware, it's nothing to do with "juices". It's a skin to skin virus. Once the virus enters your system, IT decides where to pop up. Most often it prefers softer skin areas, but can occur anywhere it chooses. Why mine decided to be anal rather than vaginal has left me confused as majority of women on here appear to get it vaginally. Oh well, at least i have real reason to say mine's a pain in the *** :D

LOFL!!!!! now that made my day today hahaha... as far as the softer skin.. i can say my area that i think is soft so maybe thats why!?!?

Sometimes you have to have a sense of humour about even the not so nice things in life :D