I actually got her to take me to her doctor (she was in complete denial about this) and we got the reuslts from her intial culture examination which came back type I in the gential region. I'm starting to think that might have been a bad idea because near our end she kept telling how she couldn't believe she was stressed out these last 4 four years becuase the way her doctor portrayed it type I was not that big of a deal, even in the gential area. But that of course is false becuase even though it may be milder in form it is still herpes and I tried telling her this. We did use condoms everytime except a couple of "dips" before I knew she had it. My current problems consist of the following: Soreness around base of penis and scroutem (sp), redness and itchiness and the skin seems to be very dry and somewhat scaley. I have a burning sensation sometimes after urination and random "pricks" all over my penis. I know part of this has to be stress induced that's why I'm not clear on what my condition is. Imagine someone lying next to you after you just had sex for about the sixth time and then telling you they are a statisitc, they have herpes. Christ it messed me up so fast... I was extremely obsessive for the first 2 months. Everything was herpes. Checking all the time. I've never seen any blisters but I've read they don't have to be present to be infected. My results were taken soon after we had sex (2 weeks later) and from what I was told this may have been to early for the antibodies to show up had I been infected. All I can do now is wait for a blister and have it sampled or keep testing my blood about every 6 months to get the antibody reading. I have yet to look into herbs and any alt. medicines but I am keeping it in mind. I almost want to ask my doctor for some valtrex to see if it has any affect.

I think that's why I'm having such a hard time. There were signs there and I just didn't see them. You see, I had a image of std carriers that I know now is utterly false. This girl came from a upscale family, degree from U of Michigan, very intelligent and I was very attracted to her. It didn't connect in my head that it would be possible for her to have this. I felt even more solid about that after expressing how I felt about std's and telling her what happened to someone I knew years ago. She just reacted in a way that seemed like it wasn't even a thought. Of course because she was in denial about it anyway... I getting even more confused now.

In the end no one deserves this. It's one thing to pay a price for bad judgement but when that price lasts your whole life, to me that's just cruel. But that's life isn't it?

J