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

....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

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-he... Source(s): Personal experience. I have had genital herpes for over 5 years.

Don't be in DENIAL. And also don't worry too much about it. IT IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE.
Some one has to be originally infected with this STD. If it is not you, then it is your boyfriend who has spread it to you.
Check out these two sites. One for genital herpes and one of herpes zoster.

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/stdh...

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/...
Get used to freaking the person that gave it to you...cuz u are not about 2 have sex ever...without a man beating you because u gave him herpes...
I'm not a medical professional so I can't answer the techincal part or so I choose not to.

HOWEVER, two things come to mind! The first being the boyfriend, what,s his diagnosis? Oh, he doesn't have one? Well, that might be a first start to see if your sharing something nasty! And is he sharing himself with others or does he TELL you he's faithful to you? LOTS of questions need to be answered here! Then maybe you need to go back and look at your past! How many in the past and who, what, and where!

Secondly, doctors have been known to misdiagnose! I'd start with some lab work and then maybe move on for a second opinion if the lab work is inconclussive!

As for pictures, I suppose if you punch in "genital herpes" in google you'll be over whelmed with responses!