I am facing a possible genital herpes diagnosis.... My doctor says?

Question:

....that the virus can be in your body for years before you notice anything. That go's against everything I have read or been taught or told. Everything I can find says 1-20 days from contact. I am totally confused/ scared. I have always had normal PAP smears and have been with my boyfriend for 5mo. and haven't had sex with anyone else for like at least 8 mo. Can someone PLEASE help me to understand this. Also what is on me doesn't look anything like the pictures on th internet. It is just a painful red spot. Anything helps. Also, does anyone have sny pictures that they csn send me? Thanx

Answers:
It's true. Genital herpes can take years sometimes for any symptoms or signs of the virus to show up. This makes it difficult for some people to identify who actually gave it to them. For others symptoms can appear, like you said, anywhere from 1-20 days.

Did the doctor specifically test you for the herpes simplex virus? Genital herpes can sometimes be confused with chancroid lesions (a curable bacterial STD) or syphilis sores (also a curable bacterial STD). Just because it might not look like pictures online doesn't mean it's not genital herpes though. If you are really concerned you can always get tested for syphilis and chancroid.

Feel free to email me if you'd like. I'd be happy to try and answer any questions you might have about the virus.

***Also, don't listen to Kandykisses. She is full of it. There are plenty of guys out there that would date a person with genital herpes. I have had SEVERAL boyfriends and none of them have ever dumped me because I have genital herpes. We were just extra careful when it came to anything sexual. Right now I am in a great relationship with my current fiance. He didn't leave me because I had genital herpes. We have a great, healthy, happy relationship.

Genital herpes really isn't as uncommon as most people seem to think. 1 out of 4 women have genital herpes and 1 out of 5 men have it.
http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/STDFact-Herpes.htm#common

Don't be in DENIAL. And also don't worry too much about it. IT IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE.

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I am facing a possible genital herpes diagnosis.... My doctor says?

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