Hello, My Girlfriend 8 Months Is From Russia. We Went

Posted on Wed, 1 May 2019

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 1 May 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : Hello, my girlfriend 8 months is from Russia. We went tanning in the sun recently and she got sun burnt. She now has a small bump on her bottom lip, no puss or anything but she says in a few days it will scab. She says it is herpes and it is normal in Russia. That really shocked me because I take my health seriously. I live in Florida and she has visited me three times for 2 weeks each times and we kissed a lot of each of those occasions, I did a test two weeks ago and my hsv 1 and hsv 2 came back negative. Does she really have herpes or is she mixing it up with something else? Am I just lucky not to have contracted it? This is a real deal breaker if she has herpes....

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (51 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Regarding herpes labialis

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to ask a doctor service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.

I would like to know when was the last time you kissed each other? this is relevant because a blood test done within a short time of infection may be falsely negative. Moreover, a silent herpes labialis (if she has it) has a lower infection rate than a manifest cold sore which is more infectious.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if you need any more assistance.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (16 minutes later)

We last kissed in January and I got tested in April. Please elaborate on silent herpes labialis, how do I know if she has this? Also does she definitely has herpes? She says she has struggled with these bumps on her lip from the sun and the cold since she was a child. I may need to end the relationship. I don't want cold sores. I have never had them.

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (8 hours later)

Hello?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (12 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Regarding herpes labialis

Detailed Answer:
Hi.
You may request her to go for a blood test. That should confirm. A negative test in your case 2-3 months post possible contact rules out hsv in you. Not even silent one. take care

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj