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Meepovnickova

By Meepovnickova,
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Meepovnickova Honeycomb Member

Meepovnickova

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Hi everyone. I was recently just diagnosed with herpes whitlow on my finger and it came back positive for HVS-2.  While I understand that one can get herpes anywhere, it's still quite baffling. I have struggled to discover what is going on with this finger for over a year. Until this point, where I had a full recognizable herpes outbreak in the location, the only symptoms I had were a slight itching, appearance of a bump that would later disappear while the rest of my finger would become inflamed and infected. I went to various doctors several times and they all thought it was anything and everything but herpes until now.

I've read that for many the whitlow is due to self inoculation via the genital region when there is active sore. However, I've never noticed any sores or blisters down there. Some minor itching, pimples, but nothing like what's happened to  my finger--intense itching, soreness, burning, fluid filled blisters.  Knowing that it's HV2 should I consider my genital region as always a zone of an outbreak/transmission? If I had an outbreak down there I clearly had no idea. How would I recognize one now? Any advice from others who experienced something similar? How should I proceed re sex with my partner? Very confused...

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WilsoInAus Platinum Support Member

WilsoInAus

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Hey @Meepovnickova I think the first thing to do is get an IgG blood test right away. 

What did your swab test result say?

Have you been with your current partner since before the issue with your finger started?

Note that there is no documented case of a person inoculating their finger with HSV-2 from a genital infection.

As a result, you are most likely only infected in the hand area.

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Meepovnickova Honeycomb Member

Meepovnickova

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Hi @WilsoInAus

thanks for your quick reply and helpful thoughts ! My swab test came back highly positive for hv2 and negative  for hv1. What additional information would the blood test give me? The finger issues began before my relationship with my current partner. To note: I had a real paronychia more than a year ago in this finger. The nail fell off and it was a very sensitive area of course. I was in a relationship with another man at the time., many months after it initially healed, I began to get the recurrent infection/inflammation there always starting with a small itch. 

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WilsoInAus Platinum Support Member

WilsoInAus

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30 minutes ago, Meepovnickova said:

Hi @WilsoInAus

thanks for your quick reply and helpful thoughts ! My swab test came back highly positive for hv2 and negative  for hv1. What additional information would the blood test give me? The finger issues began before my relationship with my current partner. To note: I had a real paronychia more than a year ago in this finger. The nail fell off and it was a very sensitive area of course. I was in a relationship with another man at the time., many months after it initially healed, I began to get the recurrent infection/inflammation there always starting with a small itch. 

Swab tests if a culture was applied are not always typed but can be assumed to be a type. A blood test can therefore help confirm type. The other thing the blood test may help with is to whether this is a recent infection. I see that your initial finger issues were probably not related to herpes, but sure look to have created the correct conditions for a herpes infection to occur from either your previous or even current partner.

How long ago was the swab? When you say highly positive what do you mean? Was the test a culture, PCR, IgG, IgM etc.?

Either way, it does seem worthwhile for your current partner to test to learn his status.

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Meepovnickova Honeycomb Member

Meepovnickova

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8 hours ago, WilsoInAus said:

Swab tests if a culture was applied are not always typed but can be assumed to be a type. A blood test can therefore help confirm type. The other thing the blood test may help with is to whether this is a recent infection. I see that your initial finger issues were probably not related to herpes, but sure look to have created the correct conditions for a herpes infection to occur from either your previous or even current partner.

How long ago was the swab? When you say highly positive what do you mean? Was the test a culture, PCR, IgG, IgM etc.?

Either way, it does seem worthwhile for your current partner to test to learn his status.

Thanks @WilsoInAus,  My test was a  PCR  and I’ll look into trying to get access to the blood test as well. Thanks for your help. 

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