Okay thanks, so its probably the sex that caused it, among other things like
too much coffee and stress etc.

Thank you Angela, and M2 for answering my post. I really cannot afford to
take Valtrex right now, and my girlfriend is kind of in the same boat with
her financial situation, but she has a stash of it saved up. I have some
Valtrex left over from a prior time just in case I get a bad one.

I guess my girlfriend was thinking that we are passing it back and fourth so
knowing that it isn't happening is at least some what comforting. I guess
the friction from the sex is causing the outbreaks then. I notice that a
couple of days after sex I tend to have an outbreak that starts and this is
usually after engaging in vigorous sex for a few days in a row.

Right now I am probably getting 12 outbreaks a year, but they are small
ones, meaning that they start out with tingling in the thighs and butt, a
prickly raw feeling in the inner thighs then itching and burning in the
genitals, but one tiny if any sores and mild ones at that. My girlfriend on
the other hand has about 1-2 a year and hers are really bad. Hers start out
as itching and then small cuts in the genital area and burning that lasts
for 1-2 weeks (on valtrex). Mine last about a week with no valtrex.

In addition to genital herpes I have hpv, so its just another thing to worry
about, although my girlfriend says she doesn't have hpv (yet). I heard hpv
as well as herpes has symptomatic and asymptomatic viral shedding.

Any reason why my girlfriend has such grueling outbreaks even on valtrex if
I have much more mild but more frequent ones? She's had herpes about 10
years and I have had it about 5 years, but recently became more frequent and
bothersome. ???

Thanks,

Tom