Asked Yesterday

I wrote in yesterday under DSNY and got an answer, but I'm still left with some important questions:
I am a 25 year old male and wrote in about having an Elisa type specific test with a 1.37 positive result for HSV 2 and a PocKit test with a negative result for HSV 2.  In your answer, you indicated that the result for IgG showed I was exposed to the virus.  What does that mean?  Does that mean I have it?  Am I at risk for spreading it if I do have it?  Does the fact that I took anti-biotics for the 5 days preceding the Elisa test have anything to do with this positive result?  The reason I got the test in the first place was because of an encounter with a female that involved unprotected oral sex and protected sex preceding both tests.
Worried in the east

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

The antibodies, assuming the teast is accurate (and it may not be, since the PocKit test was negative) only mean that you were exposed to the virus some time in your life.  This was probably not that recently either, since it takes a while for the body to produce IgG antibodies (weeks to months.)  Antibiotics are irrelevant, and would not stop antibodies from forming.  Also, oral sex is unlikely to spread herpes, and if you get it from a recnet exposure you would have severe penile inflammation and paiful groin nodes and fever, and also your IgG test would be negative for thee weeks to months it takes for IgG to develop.  Alos, males who get herpes get it out on the penis where you can ssee it, and it lasts 7-10 days, so you could hardly miss it.

So unless you get a penile sore, in which case you should show a doctor, I think you are OK.  Just avoid unprotected sex, for physical and emotional reasons.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff