I’m scared it could be genital herpes

[Problem2000]

For 7 months now I’ve had symptoms which include itching, stinging and burning in both my vagina and anus. Initially it was thrush which was treated but the symptoms have stayed (it’s no longer thrush though). I’ve tried so many creams and they all bring relief for maybe a day before eventually making the itch worse so by day 3 I have to discontinue use.

I’m a mystery and no one seems to know what’s wrong. I’ve had STI screening which was all clear but the one thing you do not get tested for is genital herpes (nor is there a test which can be done without a lesion)

That I’m aware of, I’ve had no genital herpes lesions or sores but I do get spots and cannot definitively say I haven’t missed something

I’m scared and confused on what to do. Any guidance or shared experience would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Hidden]

Dear Problem2000.

I think you need to get down to your GU/sexual health clinic once lockdown restrictions are eased and ask to be referred to a vulval specialist. This would either be a dermatologist or a GU specialist with an interest in vulval conditions.

Regarding testing for herpes, the 'gold standard' for diagnosing an outbreak of herpes is to swab for it when the lesions appear. A blood test for herpes is available ('type specific serology'), but it is sometimes difficult to interpret without some supporting clinical information. Hence the need for you to see a vulval specialist to get assessed.

To ease your symptoms, have you tried washing with Oilatum soap or a hypoallergenic soap like Simple soap? And are you applying emollients on the area? Apologies if you've already tried these.

Rgds,

Adhari.

[Problem2000 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Adhari,

Thank you for your reply. I think you’re right about me needing to revisit a clinic and get their take on it.

I’ve never used soap on the area but I might look into an emollient based soap. The doctor advised me to use emollient cream and while it’s not initially offensive it can cause itching to worsen a few days later. I might give it another try though to try and reduce the burning until I’m able to see a professional.

Thank you again, the advice is much appreciated

[Hidden in reply to Problem2000]

Dear Problem2000,

Here's a good leaflet to read from the British Association of Dermatology, covering vulval pain (aka vulvodynia). I'm not suggesting you have this condition but the advice given for self-management is worth reading.

bad.org.uk/library-media/do...

Another excellent leaflet on choice of emollients to use can be found here:

nelft.nhs.uk/download.cfm?d...

Other tips:

1. Change to a non-biological washing powder

2. Avoid wearing tights & tight fitting clothes (i.e. skinny jeans, leggings, etc)

3. Sleep with silk pyjamas (yes, I know!)

2. Avoid aqueous cream (it can cause skin reactions & irritation; MHRA Alert 2013) and products with known sensitisers, including lanolin. See list in Table 1, second leaflet

3. Having read the second leaflet, select and buy 3-4 types of emollients (online); maybe just 100-200g tubes/small tubs and use each in turn. See which one suits you best and stick with that until you see the specialist.

Best wishes,

Adhari.

[Problem2000 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much, that’s honestly so helpful and I really appreciate you going out of your way to look into this for me.

I’ll read through the leaflets and follow your advice, thank you again