Expert: Norman Solberg - 9/25/2009

Question
Hi Doctor I wrote you a couple of days ago about some vaginal symptoms like, itchiness, burning (horrible when urinating), sores in vaginal area, and vaginal inflamation, you sugested genital herpes, which for me was very strange, both me and my partner went for std test before start having sex, and I have only have 2 sexual partners in my life, being now 28 years old. I went to my ginecologist and she confirms that I have genital herpes, she put me on valtrex, today is my day #7 after I started feeling my first symptom, I think some of the more external sores are starting to break, but rather than that I haven't seen a lot of improvement, my vagina keep being very swelled, I still have vaginal discharge, is this normal? or is something wrong with my inmunological system. I want to point out also that my frist symptom was sore throat and a very mild feeling of being sick, which Ithough I was having tonsils infection, those symptoms went away like 2 days ago, does this means I am improving?

Answer
Hi Elena,
The first time a person gets genital herpes, it is the most severe and can last 10 days or more.  The Valtrex helps a little, but it still has to run its course.  In case it ever comes back (It may or may not), it will usually be much more mild and of shorter duration.  I don't think there is anything wrong with your immune system.  It's just the way a herpes infection acts.  Hopefully within a few days you'll start feeling a lot better.  As far as the STD testing, herpes can't be detected except while there is an outbreak (in general), so testing wouldn't find it while you were both without symptoms.  Best wishes.