Questions!
Throwaway as I'm active in my local communities subs and like many, I don't want this associated with my main account.
I contracted GHSV1 about two months, likely from my most recent partner who also so kindly left me around two weeks post diagnosis whilst I was in a severe depressive spiral of navigating my life with a new diagnosis.
The initial outbreak wasn't honestly *that* bad. I had quite severe flu like symptoms, inflamed lymph nodes, etc. I had assumed I had just caught a viral throat infection. (which is funny as I had technically caught a viral infection)
The following ulcer like rash didn't appear until several days later and genuinely I thought this was just a shaving rash but due to the level of pain I was in, not being able to sit comfortably, mild discomfort, I went to my doctors concerned that I had a minor infection (again, funny).
My question is; how do I determine what is an outbreak and what is actually just a shaving rash? I could stop shaving entirely but I like a tidy up here and there.
My outbreak wasn't really typical based on images online or even on this sub, so much so that everyone around me was in complete disbelief that it would be hsv. I also didn't experience any of the tingling/nerve pain which makes sense as I am on medication for a nerve condition already. I'm worried that when I do eventually move on, meet someone new, and start having sex, that I may miss an outbreak and transmit to a partner.
My intention is to fully disclose and to use protection to lower the chances of transmission but I worry that I will miss the outbreak? I know this is probably so unlikely but I've been lucky enough to only have the one outbreak that i'm aware of so far so I have limited experience of how it feels on my body and I know that my recurring outbreaks, if any, will probably be much less severe.
A lot of worry going on over here, only a few other folks I know have HSV and they're not interested in discussing these things as they prefer to forget the diagnosis since they all have LTRs so disclosure isn't something they worry about anymore.