TERRIFIED!!!!!

I'm 24 and have had cold sores my entire life (bad). Last weekend I had protected sex with someone who also claimed to be "clean". A bit of oral sex was involved on my part, but we used a condom. Also, we were both under the influence of alcohol. I am careful about having safe sex and always asking my partner about any STD. About three days ago I noticed a small flesh colored bump on my outer labia. I get prescribed acyclovir for my bad cold sore outbreaks and have been taking it for three days to see if anything would happen to resolve the bump. The bump has remained the same and is not very itchy, nor has it changed in color or size. It is sensitive to the touch but not particularly painful as I know my oral herpes is (throbbing, swelling sores) I know that every particular case is different, and I intend to get tested. I just need someone to talk to me about his and ease my shaking anxiety that I have had the past three days about this. I haven't had any other of symptoms aside from maybe a tiny bit of itchiness down there, and not particularly just in that spot. I am TERRIFIED, and FREAKING OUT. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Flesh colored bumps make me think of HPV (as in the strain that causes genital warts) and not HSV. It could be nothing or something minor. I had a friend get bumps from a yeast infection. Try not to freak yourself out and get tested.

It does not sound herpes like to me, if that helps any.

Can HPV be contracted during "safe sex"?

Yes it can. It's transmitted by skin to skin contact just like herpes. You can lower your risk by wearing a condom, but it is not 100%. Any area outside of the condom can still transmit the virus.

Almost all sexually active people will get a strain of HPV at some point in their lives. And like herpes, signs and symptoms of the virus do not have to be present to transmit it. Most people don't even know they have it. Getting a simple pap smear could tell you if you have it. (It is usually reflexed to HPV regardless of your sexual history because of the fact it is so common, and has cancer causing strains.)

I didn't mean to imply that you have HPV, just that it might be a possibility. It could be many things, but at this point we are just guessing. Your best bet is to get tested and try not to worry.

Allyn, I'm confused as to what you're terrified about. You didn't way which type of HSV you have, other than oral. And this doesn't necessarily mean you have type 1.

I was looking for this thread because I wanted to make a correction to the HPV statement I made. Ask your doctor if they can detect HPV from your pap. (Someone brought it to my attention that they are only looking for cancer causing strains- I've yet to confirm that).

Dave- she's had coldsores her entire life. Unless she started oral sex at a very young and inappropriate age, I'd say without a doubt it's HSV1.

Dave- she's had coldsores her entire life. Unless she started oral sex at a very young and inappropriate age, I'd say without a doubt it's HSV1.

Or, she got HSV2 orally from a relative who got it from oral sex and then innocently kissed her lips. You can't say without a doubt anymore concerning HSV that Type 1 is oral herpes and Type 2 is genital herpes.

What you are talking about is almost next to impossible. It's rare to get HSV2 orally and to transmit it by kissing? Relative kissing is normally a peck. I think you're leaping here lol.