Two strains of herpes exist, HSV-1 and HSV-2. But, I had never had symptoms! My partners had never had symptoms! We always used condoms! How was this possible?! An intensive bout of Googling confirmed my worst fears. I opened them nonchalantly, but froze midway down the screen. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to playĪ week later, I was lying in bed when my lab results popped up via email. Since I live an hour away from my gynecologist and was just looking for the most convenient way to get tested, I found a website that could send a lab order for the STD tests to my local walk-in lab, where I could get my blood drawn without having to make an appointment. I decided to just bite the bullet and get tested for my own peace of mind. But Katie had set a nagging worry in my head. The swab turned out to be positive, and meds quickly cleared up my itchy symptoms. I visited an urgent care when I got home and got swabbed for a yeast infection. Having only had two partners, both of whom I was in monogamous relationships with, and both of whom I used condoms with at all times, I was pretty much the poster child for safe sex. While her descriptions of symptomless suitors and painful outbreaks had thoroughly terrified me in the past, I had never really considered myself at risk. Since then, she'd been open and vocal about educating others about this very real health concern. "Yeah but you know they don't usually test for herpes right?" Katie had the great misfortune of getting herpes from the first guy she ever slept with. Well yeah, I thought, what else could it be? I had recently tested clean on my last STD screen at my annual. "Are you sure it's a yeast infection?” she asked. I texted my friend Katie* and whined about it. So I did what I do best in those types of situations. And the only thing worse than a yeast infection, is a yeast infection when you're stuck in the woods with your entire extended family. Having recently taken up cycling as a hobby, I figured the combination of tight spandex and the swampy humidity of July had given me a yeast infection. I was on a family vacation in the middle of nowhere when the itching started.
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