Just a quick post to let you know that vaginal herpes is not different from any other form of herpes. All herpes viruses come from the herpes simplex virus of which there are two types. I know this is shocking but they are actually called Herpex Simplex 1 (HSV1) and Herpes Simplex 2 (HSV2). While it is possible for either virus to appear on either the mouth or genital region, the vast majority, experience HSV1 on the mouth (yes, all cold sores are HSV1 – don’t listen to people who say, “It’s just a cold sore, not herpes.” At this point it’s your call whether to kindly suggest they seek out any medical dictionary or reference literature), and HSV2 in the genital region. This would be female genital herpes, vaginal herpes, vagina herpes, HSV2 – we can come up with many names but it’s all the same.
You don’t need to spend a lot of time (like I did) searching the internet for scary pictures or evil herpes experiences. It’s not the end of the world. And sometimes, because of what genital herpes can teach you about yourself, it’s the beginning of something great.
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I’m almost certain I have genital herpes….got an appointment set up for tomorrow. This blog is exactly what I was searching for…google has really been letting me down these days. Anyways, I really wanted to talk about the symptoms of genital herpes with a woman who has it. I have vaginal ulcers and burning with urination, but on top of that I have extremely excessive and watery discharge. Its really bad..the other day I had to wear a pad and when I sat down for my hour-long class…when I got out of my seat there was a leaky spot on my chair! My fluids had seeped through the pad, my underwear, my jeans, and onto the chair. Needless to say..I was horrified. When I went to see if this is a normal symptom I couldn’t find any horror stories at all like mine online :(. I wonder if this is normal, also my roommates are starting to complain of a strange odor….I’m really embarrassed and I just want to know if this is normal with a female genital herpes outbreak.
I am so very sorry that you are going through this experience. I’m glad that you are reaching out and that you have a Dr. appointment tomorrow (today?). The vaginal ulcers sound about right – it depends on their size though, but they should begin to heal. The other symptoms sound too excessive to be vaginal herpes.
Even at my worst outbreaks (and there have been well over a hundred), I have not had any leaking. Especially to the degree of leaking through a pad or having a strange odor. You didn’t mention your sexual activity in the last month. Most often genital herpes will appear within 7 – 14 days of exposure.
What I can say is this: I have spoken with many women that have genital herpes and your symptoms are too excessive to be considered normal. That being said, I am not a Dr. and herpes is a strange virus that doesn’t always act in a predictable fashion (my worst outbreak was on the back of my knee – about 2 inches in diameter!).
I am really hoping that your Dr. visit can clear this up for you. For your sake, even though it isn’t the end of the world, let’s hope it’s not herpes but something more benign like a bad yeast infection that you can clear up with one treatment.
Take care and let me know how it works out.
Nanci Elliott