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Advice Column
Did My Boyfriend Give Me
Genital Herpes?
Dear STD Advice,
Recently I came home from being
away at school. After making love to my boyfriend
I found that I had the following symptoms:
- "cottage
cheesy" vaginal discharge
- swelling, red, itchiness
- burning especially during
urination
I also noticed,
however, while I was researching what this might
be that my lymph node glands
were swollen in my groin, my armpit and my neck.
I also
found tiny painful bumps on my outer lips.
My boyfriend did have canker sores and he did go down
on me.
Is it possible that the canker sores were a
form
of herpes that got transferred to me?
Also, are swollen lymph node glands and the
bumps possible symptoms of a yeast infection
as well? - Herpes Concern
Dear Herpes Concern,
While canker sores are typically not known
to transfer disease (or be contagious), cold sores are
as they are caused by HSV-1, the Herpes Simplex Virus.
Cold sores (fever blisters) will generally appear
on the outside of the lip, very visible to others. Cold
sores are highly contagious and a person
with them must avoid intimate contact during an outbreak.
A person can transfer HSV-1 from the mouth to the genital
area of another person through oral contact.
If your boyfriend has HSV-1 then it is
possible that he transferred the Herpes virus to you
during oral sex. You should immediately see a physician
to
confirm
this, get counseling, and get treated.
Symptoms of Herpes generally occur anytime
within 14 days after exposure. However, some people can
be exposed,
catch it, but not display any symptoms.
For people that do experience symptoms,
you'll find those to generally be as follows (and not
necessarily all of these):
- Swollen glands
- Sores (either painful or itchy - or both)
- Fever
- Muscle aches and headaches
- Burning sensation during urination
- Itching or burning sensation in genital area
Because the symptoms vary widely, many
people who have genital herpes may mistake it as a "yeast
infection". This is why it is vital that you have
a physician examine you ASAP. You need to know whether
it is an STD or vaginal yeast infection.
Having an STD, like genital
herpes, can
create an emotional strain. It's important, though, to
realize that you're not alone in this. It is estimated
that 25% of all women have genital herpes. That's tens
of millions of people. Your physician can help counsel
you on this and there are many online support groups
that can also be of assistance.
While there is no cure for genital herpes,
there are treatments available that you will want to
seek out from your physician if you are, indeed, diagnosed
with it. Generally, the first outbreak will be the worse.
If you have a question for the STD Advice column, simply put your question in the anonymous form below and click Submit. Once you click Submit, your question will be anonymously emailed to us. While we can't answer or publish all questions, we do try to questions within a one week period of submission. Check back to see if yours is answered.
Only a physician can properly diagnose whether or
not you have an STD. Thus it is important that you get
an STD test done if you have a concern. None of the advice
given in this column is a substitute for physician advice.
If you think you may have a sexually transmitted
disease, you should see a physician immediately to
be properly diagnosed and treated. You should not try
to diagnose or treat symptoms on your own.
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