Genital herpes

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 own thing behaving differently or a second problem.

wool_coat 1 month ago

NoteMember experience, not medical advice. Symptoms overlap between infections and only a test can tell them apart.

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low_ceiling 1 month ago

Go now rather than waiting to see if it settles. I have twice waited, watched it heal, and then had no answer at all. A swab on day one is worth more than a long description on day ten.

paper_lantern 1 month ago

Recurrences often look nothing like the first episode. Usually smaller, fewer lesions, one area rather than everywhere, and gone in a few days instead of a few weeks. So different does not mean new.

That said, the only way to know is a swab taken while something is actually there. Once it has healed the opportunity is gone.

west_pier 1 month ago

It is also worth knowing that plenty of things in that area are not herpes: folliculitis, friction, ingrown hairs, other infections entirely. A clinician looking at it settles far more than a mirror does.

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