Hi Scotty,
Good luck with your alternative treatment strategy. Let us know how you make out with it.
You should get a swab culture test done ASAP on the lesion that's forming. Today. Don't put it off or the chance of an accurate result goes way down. Unfortunately the swabs are hard to get an accurate result from.
The problem with aiming for a "cure" is that there is really no way to prove that you don't still have it and that you're not still potentially contagious. Most people who have herpes don't get symptoms they recognise as being herpes, and all people with herpes shed the virus without any symptoms, so it can be extremely hard to prove that a "cure" has been achieved.
I'm not saying don't hope or try for a cure, I'm just saying balance it with some realism and consideration for future partners. If you do have genital herpes (of either HSV-1 or HSV-2), you still need to tell any future partners that you have this and that they could get it from you, even if you use a condom. Since it sounds like a condom would cover the infection site, a condom will definitely help but it's not a guarantee when it comes to herpes, unfortunately.
On a more positive note, if you did get herpes from receiving oral sex, chances are it's HSV-1 which will often be much milder and less frequent in its outbreaks (OBs) than if it's HSV-2. That will make it easier to deal with psychologically, since you probably won't get frequent OBs, but you can still be contagious even without OB symptoms. I'm not trying to scare you or depress you, just to offer a bit of a realistic balance of information for you to add to the other stuff you're finding out.
I'd suggest you also get a type-specific blood test done NOW. Blood tests often take at least a couple of weeks, sometimes a few months, to return accurate results, so getting one now could tell you if you already have HSV-1 (cold sores). Then this can be used as a baseline for future testing.
Good luck! Keep us posted what you find out.
TheOneInFour
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