Is this a recurrence or something new?
Diagnosed eight months ago. Something has appeared that does not look like what I had the first time, and I cannot tell whether this is my…
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replies 1 month, 1 week ago
Genital herpes
HSV-1 and HSV-2. First outbreak, recurrences, antivirals, suppressive therapy, disclosure and dating.
Prodrome. Is it real or am I inventing it?
I get a tingling and a heavy feeling in my thigh a day before anything appears. Sounds like something I could easily be imagining into existence.
3
replies 1 month, 2 weeks ago
My HSV-2 result came back low positive
Blood test, positive for HSV-2, and there is a number next to it that is only just above the cutoff. No symptoms ever. The nurse said…
3
replies 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Pregnant and just diagnosed with a first outbreak
First outbreak, and I am in the last stretch of pregnancy. I have an appointment but not for days and I am frightening myself reading.
3
replies 1 month, 3 weeks ago
How long do people stay on suppressive treatment?
Started daily tablets after a bad run of outbreaks. Nobody mentioned an end point and I am not sure whether this is a year or a…
3
replies 1 month, 4 weeks ago
Can I give myself genital herpes from a cold sore?
I get cold sores. Someone told me I could transfer it to myself and now I am paranoid about touching my own face.
3
replies 2 months ago
Do I have to disclose if I have never had an outbreak?
Found out through a blood test, not through symptoms. Never had anything appear. It feels strange to disclose something I have never experienced.
3
replies 2 months ago
Does suppressive therapy actually protect a partner?
My clinic offered daily antivirals and mentioned it lowers the chance of passing it on. I want to understand how much lower, because my partner and…
3
replies 2 months ago
Is a confirmatory blood test worth chasing?
Positive on a type specific blood test, no symptoms ever. I have read that some positives near the cutoff should be confirmed with a different test.…
3
replies 2 months, 1 week ago
Does shaving make outbreaks worse?
Noticed my worst episodes follow a few days after shaving. Coincidence or actually a thing?
3
replies 2 months, 1 week ago
Swab came back negative but the sore looked exactly like herpes
Had a sore, went in, they swabbed it, negative. I am relieved but not convinced, because it healed the way everything I have read describes. Can…
3
replies 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Do lysine or any supplements actually help?
Recommended lysine, zinc and half a dozen other things by well meaning people. Is any of it supported or is it all noise?
3
replies 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Outbreaks every month since the diagnosis
Diagnosed five months ago and I have had something every single month. Everything I read says they become less frequent. Mine are not.
3
replies 2 months, 2 weeks ago
How do you tell someone new?
Been seeing someone for about six weeks and it is heading somewhere. I have had genital herpes for four years. I have rehearsed this conversation so…
3
replies 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Does herpes affect anything else long term?
Beyond outbreaks, does having this cause problems later in life? Fertility, other conditions, anything?
3
replies 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Can I breastfeed?
Diagnosed during pregnancy. Nobody has said anything about afterwards and I am now inventing worries.
3
replies 2 months, 3 weeks ago
HSV-1 or HSV-2 genitally, does the type change anything day to day?
Diagnosed genitally and told it is HSV-1 rather than HSV-2. Everyone talks about them as if they are interchangeable but nobody has told me whether it…
3
replies 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Is a vaccine or cure actually close?
Every year there is an article saying a breakthrough is coming. Is any of it real or is this permanent hope management?
3
replies 2 months, 4 weeks ago
Blood test says HSV-1 positive but I have never had a sore
Had a full panel done because a new partner asked, and HSV-1 came back positive. I have never had a cold sore or anything genital that…
3
replies 3 months ago
Partner still negative after two years
Together two years, I have HSV-2, he tests negative every time. We use condoms most of the time but not always. Is he just lucky?
3
replies 3 months ago
Is stress really a trigger or is that folklore?
Everyone says stress. It sounds like the kind of thing people say about everything.
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replies 3 months, 1 week ago
First outbreak was the worst pain of my life. Does it stay like this?
I am about a week into what the clinic swabbed and confirmed as a first episode. I could not sit down properly for three days and…
3
replies 3 months, 2 weeks ago
How much do condoms actually reduce the risk?
Reading around, the answer seems to be somewhere between quite a lot and not much, depending on who wrote the page.
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replies 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Shooting pain down my leg before an outbreak
Nerve type pain down the back of one thigh, always the same leg, always a day or two before. Is that something I should be worried…
3
replies 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Towels, toilet seats, swimming pools
I know the answer is supposed to be no. I would still like to hear it from people who live with this rather than from a…
3
replies 4 months ago
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