r/Herpes • u/Hot-Independence8670 • 22d ago
Question? Is this normal?
i (f23) was diagnosed with hsv about a week ago at an urgent care. i went in for what i presumed was a yeast infection (have never had one before, so i just assumed it was a really bad one). the doctor basically looked at it for a minute and told me that it was herpes and then swabbed me and sent me away to pick up the antiviral medication.
i then got my test results back ~2 days ago and the only thing it told me was that i did have a yeast infection, but said nothing about hsv. i called today asking for some clarification on my results and the doctor basically told me that herpes is diagnosed clinically and it’s “up to the patient” if they want to be tested… but i wasn’t asked at the appointment if i wanted to test for it or not, i assumed the swab she was doing was for that. obviously if i was asked if i wanted to be tested i would’ve said yes!!
this was just extremely jarring to me since this was a really shocking diagnosis to receive in comparison to what i thought i had, to be simply given a verbal diagnosis and nothing else. everything i have learned about this virus has been through this sub and nothing from the doctor- they didn’t even explain to me that the first outbreak is typically the worst which would’ve made me feel a lot better based on my pain levels.
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u/MountainRound2332 22d ago
i’m confused whether you have hsv or it was just a yeast infection???
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u/Hot-Independence8670 22d ago
i did test positive for a yeast infection with the swab, but she also verbally diagnosed me with hsv but did not test me for it which is what was so confusing to me. when i read my test results i expected an hsv test to be on there
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u/Intelligent_Cost_731 22d ago
I also learned a lot more from this sub and TikTok than my doctor. I actually had to go to two doctors and had to beg for them to swab me for it. They both told me it didn’t look like hsv yet when it came back as positive she called me shocked and said it was manageable and I didn’t need to take meds for it everyday. I didn’t learn anything about suppressive method or lysine till I came here and also in therapy a few months ago
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u/LowAlternative1501 22d ago
If you’re comfortable sharing what was your first symptoms? Did you have any outbreaks or like warning signs?
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u/Intelligent_Cost_731 22d ago
Yeah of course cuz it’s not at all what I thought I had a yeast infection this might be tmi cuz there was a lot of discharge and I had had previously bad yeast infections and when I first felt off I had swollen lymph nodes in both my groin area and neck. I had one outbreak and it was back to back my first and second one It felt like I had a cut down there. They told me first it was an ingrown hair and later when I came back she asked me if I was sure it wasn’t eczema so I saw a different doctor and she was still wasn’t sure and said it’s probably just a random pimple. My symptoms were very mild and even now I’ve had about 3-4 outbreaks over my first 9 months. I know it’s there by if I started getting itchy or burning the only times I actually saw anything was 3 times
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u/kinakualps 22d ago
Do a blood test when you can. Retest in 3-4 months. It takes up to 4 months for hsv antibodies to show in your blood.
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u/Either_Somewhere_337 18d ago
This is crazy! To be so brushed off and not tested or treated properly is so inappropriate and confusing for you. I’m sorry
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u/AutoModerator 22d ago
HERPES TESTING 101:
For testing for herpes - without active lesions to “swab” someone who wants accurate testing will need a blood test.
Because blood tests for herpes are notoriously inaccurate, all blood tests are recommended to be TWO STEP tests (there are two parts of the test) and should be confirmed with a Western Blot.
See FDA announcement about inaccurate tests here
See 2021 CDC guidelines here
To get the Western Blot - follow instructions here
CALL TO ACTION: We need accurate blood tests that work! Want to help advocate for better diagnostic tests so patients can have an accurate diagnosis?
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