Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.
Genital herpes classically presents with grouped discrete fluid filled lesions. The lesions are painful or have a burning sensation.
Hsv is usually transmitted by close contact/intimate contact with an infected sexual partner. After going through your history, I am doubtful that the lesions which you are suspecting as due to herpes are actually herpetic in origin. They rather seem to me as pearly penile papules.
Moreover, your doctor has also not confirmed those suspicious looking lesions on your genitalia as herpes. The lesions of herpes are fairly distinctive to be confused with something else.
Having said that, herpes may be clinically silent and remain so for long periods of time, however, it can still be passed on to sexual contacts.
However, since you do have the virus inside your system you may pass it on to your sexual partner.
Back pain is not a symptom of herpes. The prodrome of herpes genitalis rather may start as
pain in hip, buttock that radiates down to the legs. The prodrome is accompanied or followed by an eruption of herpetic blisters or erosions. Absence of sores also makes it unlikely that she has got herpes.
So, I am doubtful that the episode of back pain that she recently had has anything to do with genital herpes.
She may take up a
blood test for herpes to be sure whether she has got the virus or not.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Kakkar S.