Q:
Hello,
I am a 28 year old healthy male. My girlfriend just broke the news to me that she tested positive for hsv2. Prior to the outbreak, she was sicker than she had been in a long time. According to her, this was her first outbreak and went to the doctor after noticing a few herpatic lesions around her vagina. I have been asymptomatic my entire life and still am. Should I come in and get tested? I am not interested in assigning blame or getting involved in who gave it to who games. I am just interested in my health. Thank you-
A:
This is always tough to deal with as there is really no way to know if this truly is her first outbreak as a primary (first ever) herpes episode can be completely asymptomatic (no lesions) or clinically can range to a very significant flu like illness with muscle aches, headache and fever with horrific ulcerative lesions. It sounds like this is not a severe illness, so she may be having a recurrence from a previous infection/exposure.
In other words, she may very well have been previously infected with Herpes Type 2 in the past, and this was a recurrence episode. The other issue is whether this was confirmed by lab to be Type 2, or whether it was cultured and it could be Type 1, which we commonly see in the genitals due to oral sex.
You can be blood tested for immunity to Type 1 and Type 2 and it is probably a good idea for you to know your immunity status. If you are non-immune, you will want to take precautions to reduce the risk of infection in your sexual contact with her. If you are immune, you still can get outbreaks yourself, even if you have been asymptomatic all your life and need to take precautions with your sexual partners who may not be immune.
We can order the testing here at the Health Center.
~The Doc
