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Am I infected with genital herpes? How to get rid of it?

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Dear doctor,

I am a girl of 22 years, now suffering from some sort of sexual problems. I am suffering with the symptoms of the Genital HSV1 for a week. I experience fever, swollen glands, pains and many blisters in my genital areas. This is happening after 15 weeks since I had sex with my previous boyfriend. A swab test done when the symptoms were seen showed positive. A blood test was also done after intercourse with the previous partner, about 15 weeks from the previous partner was showed negative. But a repeated test showed it positive after 11 weeks. I know that it is me who has to be blamed, as my previous partner suffered from some cold sore, immediately a few days after sex. Moreover my new boyfriend was in a relationship with only a single girl, for a long time and he had not experienced any cold sores. Also I haven't done much research about this, as I do now. My boyfriend told that he had done the blood test and it showed negative. But I am not pretty sure about it because I haven't seen the report. Also, here I remember my medical history of having soreness, but not blisters, which was previously found and confirmed as eczema and for that hydrocortisone was prescribed. I was applying it on a daily basis, without knowing whether it is HSV1 or not. After applying hydrocortisone, some symptoms declined but ulcers started appearing and that made me think that it is due to HSV1. Is it possible that the hydrocortisone suppressed my entire immune system? Is it that suppression made HSV1 flare up and appear with severe symptoms? Was the HSV1 present there earlier and the outbreak was just a recurrence? My doctor told that it was a primary infection. But I think it is likely that my previous partner with cold sores was affected with HSV1 and I contracted with the disease from him. So now, I am in a conclusion that it I was affected by the virus from my previous boyfriend (now ex) than from the previous partner. Also I believe that the hydrocortisone usage has influenced my immune system and it caused the viral attack to increase severity of symptoms.I don't know whether I should info kk.rm my previous partners about my disease. I think it could help them at least to test whether they have contracted with the disease or not and to take necessary preventive steps to stop the outbreak of the severe symptoms I am suffering now. Also, is there any way to completely treat and cure the disease? Actually I am not pretty sure about who gave the virus to me, and that makes me confused when I got affected and will it get cured. So please help me out of this at the earliest. I hope that you will take into concern that I am a lady and needs privacy while in treatment and post treatment. Hope yourlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll help at the earliest and thanks in advance.

Category: Sexologist

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Category: Family Physician-GP
 24 Doctors Online

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First and foremost I would like to tell you that you are not to be blamed for this condition. It is common condition and even if your recent boyfriend finds positive recently, this may have been due to a partner he had before he met you. You are to be congratulated for your honesty in wishing to help your recent ex-boyfriend. At this stage I would suggest you to use barrier methods. you must consider the use of barrier methods (condoms) to prevent further recurrences and infection of your partner.

The current symptom could be an infection caught from your partners before, could be from any of the two boyfriends you have mentioned. Application of cortisone could have masked off most of the symptoms at that time and made your current symptoms appear like a first time infection, however many recurrences also look like first time infections. The hydrocortisone could well have changed the appearances of the sores but it is unlikely that you would have absorbed so much into your blood stream to alter the severity of the systemic symptoms (swollen glands, fever, aches, etc.).

Genital herpes is caused by HSV1 or HSV 2. They typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals, rectum or mouth. The blisters break and leave painful sores that may take two to four weeks to heal. Experiencing these symptoms is sometimes referred to as having an outbreak. The first time someone has an outbreak they may also experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches and swollen glands.

It is advisable for you to start on antiviral medication like acyclovir. This medicine will help to shorten the course of disease and prevent future outbreak as well. But before that make an appointment with genito-urinary clinic in your city. They will examine you, verify the test results and give you the most up to date treatment. Definitely they will keep your details confidential. In addition they have a discrete contact tracing service, they will take care of contacting your partner and offering him assistance, you don't have to converse with him at all.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask for further help.

Thank you.


Dr. John Monheit
Category: Family Physician-GP
Experience: 
Residecny: North Colorado Family Medicine
Medical School: The Chicago Medical Center
Dr. John Monheit and 4 other Medical Specialists are ready to help you

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