Possible herpes?

[geekypants.livejournal.com]

Hey all...

I haven't had any kind of sexual contact in 18 months. Last November I asked to be tested for all STDs at my annual exam. They tested for chlamydia/etc. at the office and sent me to the hospital lab for blood work. I was told that they would do a blood "screen" at the lab...so I guess my first question is, does that test for everything (HIV, Herpes, etc.)? Both tests came back negative.

About a two weeks ago, I started having neck pains and fever/chills. After a few days, this developed into even worse fever/headache...doctors suspected mono or strep but both tests came back negative. I had to go to the hospital on Friday night to bring down the fever. On Saturday I noticed the inside of my lower right inner labia was a bit swollen...it turns out I have a single, relatively large, white sore there. There doesn't seem to be any redness but it does hurt. Is this herpes? What is happening? I thought I had been cleared for herpes with the blood test...is it even common for a first breakout to occur this long after infection? I am away from home and don't have the means to get to a doctor right away and am nervous.

Thanks for your help!

Comments

[sleep-monger.livejournal.com]

I had almost the exact same situation happen to me when I was 16. The fever, everything. My sore was obviously infected, though. When I went to the ER, they immediately told me it was herpes, although the test was negative. IV antibiotics cleared me up, and I haven't had an incident in the last... oh, 6 years. It was a freak thing. But the fever could mean infection, please get checked out soon!

Maintainer Note

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Hi there! Would you mind editing your post so that it does not include the word "clean" to describe someone who is STI-free? Using "clean" that way implies that people who have STIs are "dirty," and we prefer not to further that harmful stereotype.

For more information on this policy, you can read our guidelines here (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=VaginaPagina_FAQ#Why_can.27t_I_use_the_term_.22clean.22_to_mean_.22STI-free.22.3F).

Thank you,
Tori
For the VP Team (http://www.vaginapagina.com/contact.php)
contact_vp

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

Without knowing if you tested negative for herpes antibodies in the past, and without knowing specifically what you've got now (i.e. culturing the sore), it's impossible to know. I will say that it sounds like herpes, though a first outbreak does typically happen relatively close to the incident of exposure.

Can you be seen at a Planned Parenthood or other clinic?

[ms-kitsch.livejournal.com]

Though your symptoms do sound like a herpes outbreak, it's my understanding that herpes symptoms emerge about a week after skin-to-skin contact with an infected partner, so having the first symptoms 18 months later would be highly unlikely. Is it possible you could have missed a first (mild) outbreak earlier? Again, seems unlikely, but is possible.

The the above poster suggested, the best thing to do would be to find a Planned Parenthood or other clinic to get the sore cultured. That's the single way to find out for sure what's going on.

Best of luck!

[sandraivette.livejournal.com]

Herpes isn't detected with a blood test. It's usually detected with visual examination and a swab test of the sore once it has erupted. Have you had your doc check the SORE out? And it usually erupts in clusters.