A number of years ago I naively had oral sex with someone who had a cold sore present at the time. Two weeks later I developed an infection, the symptoms being: profuse vaginal discharge, burning sensation, redness and swelling (however, no significant blisters) This lasted for about three weeks. I was very concerned so I went to a sexual heath clinic to be tested but I was given the all clear. When the infection recurred a few months later I went to the heath clinic again but after taking swabs etc. no herpes infection was found. I was told that there may be a 50% chance that I had the infection but that nothing could be diagnosed for certain. Years later when the herpes blood tests were introduced, I pursued this line of diagnosis in the hope that I would at last find out for sure if I had the infection, therefore, I had a HSV type specific blood test the results of which showed negative for HSV I and HSV II infection. In order to get a second opinion, I had a repeat blood test peformed at another clinic, the results of which were negative also. Does this mean that I do not have the herpes virus at all, or is is true that antibodies for herpes fade with time?
I have had the flu jab in the past, in the same year as I had the blood tests, and was concerned that this may have interfered with the blood test results?
Also, years ago, at the same time that I thought I had picked up herpes, I had just completed a three months course of anti-biotics for acne and the completion of the course coincided with me picking up what I thought was the herpes infection?
I do still get recurrences of what I think may be herpes, but do not get any visible blisters - only occasional spots that resemble follicitus.