Update - some results are back... - Herpes Message Board

CloudySkies · 09-05-2006, 01:23 PM

Well it's just as I had feared. The swab taken from the genital area during what they suspected was an intial o/b indeed came back positive. :O( I do not know however, which type of virus it is I or II? I live in Canada and received the phone call this past Friday that the culture was positive.

Here's the thing, I'm pretty sure the guy I was seeing (we broke up this past Saturday) is the one who passed this virus on to me. When I told him the results were positive he didn't seem to care, nor was he even shocked or in disbelief. Instead, he insisted that it didn't change his feelings for me and proceeded to tell me that he didn't care if we use condoms or not because he wanted to spend his life with me, etc. Now this man is not stupid and no one in their right mind would willing want to expose him or herself to this incurable virus...not to mention we had only been together a short 3-4 weeks. He also made no indication that he intended on going in to get tested for the virus either. I mean come on, if I were to find out the person I'm with has the virus and I may now have it, etc., I'm going to make damn sure I'm tested and until then I'm not going to want to be intimate. Yet this guy seems more than eager to have intercourse and not use anything for protection AND I was not competely healed up or over the initial o/b therefore sores were still visible, healing none the less but visible. It's my uderstanding that it's likely not a good idea to engage in sexual activity until you've healed from the o/b....yet this guy was an eager beaver!

I broke up with him cuz I don't trust him enough now, it's all too suspicous. What (if anything at all) can be done about this if he's indeed aware he has the virus and is passing around??

Once I have my blood work back I will let you all know of the results and I'm assuming if they're negative then this is an obvious recent exposure, yes??

mm82 · 09-05-2006, 03:48 PM

Sorry about your results,

Yes, I think it takes at least 6 weeks maybe more for the virus to show up in your blood. If he knows that he has the virus and he knows that he passed it on to you via having unprotected sex and didn't not mention to you the risks, then yes I really NOT trust him again.

CloudySkies · 09-07-2006, 11:02 PM

Ok, I heard from my Dr. today with all results being back and apparently I've tested positive for the IgM blood test but negative results came back on the IgG (is that what it's called?). As mentioned earlier the results came back positive as well from the culture taken when they took a swab of the area.

When she heard exactly what my symptoms were she said it was definitely classic of an initial outbreak because I had flu-like symptoms as well as the sores that actually broke out twice. The first batch broke out the Wed/Thurs then another batch broke out Sunday/Monday...it's almost entirely gone and all healed up now and the flu-like symptoms ended last Thursday. From beginning until now of this o/b it lasted approx. 2.5 weeks and I was given Famvir to take 3 times daily for 7 days (might have been 5 days - can't remember now). Thing is, can you have fever, body aches and chills along with the slight discomfort in urinating within 3 days of exposure to the virus? I didn't actually have the sores show up until about 11 days later I believe. I also was in a relationship with another guy a couple mths back and we broke up around June 9th (give or take a few days) I believe....so could it be him or is that going back too far as my Dr. seems to think it's likely more recent due to the timing of my symptoms and when I had been intimate previously.

My Dr. is telling me that because I tested positive for the one blood test and negative for the other, these results lead her to believe that this is an accute reaction/result from a recent exposure, likely within the past month or so...however she did mention it could up to the past 6 weeks but it's not known for sure. She said because of the blood work coming back with these results, what is for certain is that the exposure has to be recent within the past 3 mths for certain.

It's still some what confusing for me and I was wondering if somebody could shed a little light on this for me? Also, what is the difference between these tests (IgG and IgM)? How is it that she's certain it's a recent exposure of the past few mths?

Audrey-B · 09-08-2006, 01:20 AM

I know the precise time i caught my herpes type 2 off my partner and my o/b occured 2 months later. I too felt tired and flu like, yet the o/b was very small and i also had an ache which travelled up and down one of my sides from hip to thigh.

I don't know why some people get an o/b within days or a week or two of exposure, yet others get it months or years later and some don't even get any signs/symptoms at all. It could be something to do with our immune systems and our overall health.

I also wonder why we get the o/b in the initial spot. Majority of females on this board appear to get their o/b's vaginally, whereas mine is on/adjacent to my anal area and that's the area it has stayed in. I think i've only ever come across one other female on these boards who gets her o/b's in same spot as me.

I too received my positive results due to a swab, but they were able to tell me which type i had. I refused to take any medication as i wanted to brave it out and let my body become accustomed to the virus and just see what would happen down the track.

I am getting over a new o/b at present and this time it's been a bit different to all the other times. This time i've only gotten discomfort when i've had to go to the toilet and the rest of the time i've not even felt that i've got an o/b. Normally i'd get discomfort when going to the toilet and other time's i'd feel it stinging/itching. I hope this change means the symptoms are lessening as time goes on as it's nearly been 2yrs.