I know you aren't going to like this but I am going to refer you back to previous responses to this question! There is a 70% chance that this will hold as a true negative. At 12 weeks, even more certainty for you and your wife.
Terri
Hey Terri. How are you. Got my IgG blood test from labcorp results which I tested negative for hsv2 7 weeks and 3 days after the broken condom exposure, 6 weeks and 5 days from the protected condom exposure with the same women that's hsv2 positive. How confident should I be that I didn't contract hsv2 from these exposures? Can I leave this behind and move on with myself without thinking hsv2 on my mind all the time and can I have sex with my wife without infecting her? Or should I re test at 12 week mark and after that leave it behind? Thanks Terri.
I'm not a big fan of the inhibition assay, I must say. It almost always matches the ELISA because it is based on the ELISA and we know the ELISA has false positives. I would suggest that she get a western blot for confirmation.
Terri
She had a hsv2 inhibition Elisa than underneath it says hsv2 IgG screening. It says 5.06
76.0
Positive
>60= positive
By Focus Diagnostics. Should she re test at lab corp or quest labs.
You're pushing here. I think you have the answer, that a 16 weeks test is dependable. A 12 week test would be quite accurate also. If the other partner had brand new herpes, your risk would be higher, yes. Do you know the index value of her HSV 2 antibody test? Perhaps it is false positive if it is low.
Terri
Terri, would a 12 week test result be conclusive for me with me being hsv1 positive? Thanks.
Yes because she wants to have sex, but I been making excuses to not have sex with her because I'm scared of having hsv2 and infecting her with it. I haven't even thought about herpes medicine because I don't know if I'm infected with it. I haven't had no outbreak. Just itchiness and it's been 18 days from the broken condom incident and 14 days from the protected sex with her. It's really killing me to know my status on hsv2 with a accurate test result.
With your knowledge of herpes, what's really my chances from being infected from these exposures, which this is a new infection that she didn't know about it till she got tested 2 weeks ago and before that she got tested on June 2013 and was negative for hsv2. Just I be worried?
Have you seen or heard anyone test negative at 6 or 8 weeks after exposure and test positive weeks later? Would that 6 weeks test result still be 70% accurate with me having hsv1?
Thanks Terri.
So the urgency for an accurate test is that your wife is pregnant and you need to know before she delivers, is that right? You know, the more you test prior to the 12-16 weeks, the more certain you can be that it is negative. For example, if you test negative at 6 weeks, that's 70% accurate, if you test negative at 8 weeks, it is more accurate than 70% (can't say how much more accurate). Whatever you do, don't start any herpes medicine, it can really throw off your results.
The numbers you list for ELISA results for the Focus test have no meaning for me. Quest uses the Focus test.
Terri
The woman that tested positive took a herpes select IgG test from focus Diagnostics which is in California. There numberical values are by .50 or more are positive and .50 and lower are negative. Should she retest at a labcorp or quest labs for hsv2?
Hello Terri.
Me and my girlfriend are hsv2 negative. I had sex with another woman that didn't know she was hsv2 positive until she got tested a week ago after all 3 exposures we had already. The first exposure I had with the woman that's hsv2 postive the condom broke. 5 days later we had protected sex 2 times. All of those times I also received unprotected oral. When she went to the doctor they did a pelvic/speculum check in her vagina, which didn't show anything abnormal.
I mean is there anytime before 12 weeks that I could get a good accurate test result towards hsv2. Like you said 6 weeks is 70% accurate. That's what I'm trying to say.
You mention that these exposures are low but not zero. How low are these exposures? So low that I shouldn't worry about it and just move and not get tested?
I'm just very worried of being infected with hsv2 from these exposures and infecting my girlfriend that's pregnant.
What are the actual hsv2 symptoms because online they have so many symptoms and have different ones on the different websites.
Do you get sore throat, fever, headaches and flu like symptoms before having a outbreak or during your outbreak?
Don't want to infect my girlfriend but we had unprotected sex twice 4 days after the condom broke. Also she gave me unprotected oral sex last night for 8 mins, I told her to stop because I don't want to infect her with it, if I'm infected because she's pregnant. Could of she got infected if I did get infected with hsv2?
Thanks again Terri. I would like your input in this because your well knowledgeable in Herpes. Thanks and Thanks. Sorry for the misunderstanding before. Hope I explained it better, so you could answer my questions. Thanks Again.
Do you mean that you are girlfriend both tested negative or you and the other person both tested negative? If she has not been tested, can you get her to be tested? Offer to pay for it?
In answer to 4, I do not know of a way to be more certain about your HSV status than to wait at least 12 weeks, and, again, I don't know what you mean about 12 weeks being too long. Too long for what?
Some people get infected with HSV 2 without symptoms that they recognize, yes. Since you are looking so closely you might notice something, but you could get infected with no symptoms at all.
My recommendation is that you get the other person to test. If she is negative, then you don't have to worry and you don't have to wait.
Terri
Thanks Terri.
We both been tested in November for hsv2 and tested negative for it. I actually got tested again on Monday, waiting for my results.
Now can you answer my 7 and 8 question.
I meant to say on Question 4 that on what week would I get a accurate test result without having to wait till the 12th week? For example week 6,7,8,9, 10 week.
Would you recommend testing or just leave this behind and move on?
Have you seen people test negative on 6,7,8,9,10 week and than test positive later on?
You said " If you've not developed symptoms in the 10 days following these episodes, it is unlikely that you will get symptoms in you were indeed infected. The odds of infection with these contacts is low but not zero. I can't' give you a percentage" I'm lost with this one. Do you mean if I haven't had any symptoms in the 10 days following these episodes, that it is unlikely that I'm infected with hsv2? Note I'm hsv1 positive.
Also by the way I went to the dermatologist because I had a dark spot on the head of the penis 2 days after the condom broke, which wasn't no bump and the dermatologist said it was a bruise and it went away in 4 days. Didn't hurt or anything. Does it sound like herpes?
1. What's the chances of me being infected from these exposures? Is the broke condom exposure the one I should be worry about than the protected condom exposures?
I would say the broken condom situation is the riskiest but even with a condom a person can get herpes, but less likely than without. If you've not developed symptoms in the 10 days following these episodes, it is unlikely that you will get symptoms in you were indeed infected. The odds of infection with these contacts is low but not zero. I can't' give you a percentage.
2. How much protection do you get from having hsv1 towards hsv2 ?
You don't really get protection from infection we don't think - what you do get it protection from dramatic symptoms if you should acquire HSV 2 after having HSV 1.
3. If I test at 6 weeks negative, should I just leave this behind and move on? Have you seen or heard of anyone testing negative at 6 weeks and than testing positive weeks later?
I have seen people who take longer to show positive on the antibody test than 6 weeks, definitely. At 6 weeks, there is a 70% chance the result will be negative at 4 months if it was negative at 6 weeks.
4. With me having hsv1 does that delay my antibodies for hsv2? When would you suggest for me to get tested I on a herpes select IgG hsv2 test which would give me a accurate result before 12 weeks because that's too long to wait?
Having HSV 1 does provide some delay in becoming positive for HSV 2, yes. It is not a great delay. Twelve weeks is too long to wait? Too long for what?
5. Till today no bumps or anything abnormal on the penis. How long after exposure for symptoms to show up? Just itchiness which could just be my anxiety. I was told since I have hsv1 that it could be so mild or have no symptoms, is that true and what do they mean by mild? I'll have rashes instead of bumps? That's what they mean by mild? What type of symptoms should I be looking for since I have hsv1 and how long does it take for symptoms to go away?
The symptoms I am referring to are mostly water blisters, ulcers in the skin, things like that.
6. If I do get tested should I go by the day the condom broke or by when we had protected sex?
If you want greatest accuracy, from the last intercourse, period.
7. Should I be worried that I might be infected with hsv2 and get tested or don't worry, just move on with my life.
Have you ever been tested for HSV 2 to determine if you were previously infected?
8. Don't want to infect my girlfriend but we had unprotected sex twice 4 days after the condom broke. Could of she got infected if I did get infected with hsv2?
First, I don't know if you have HSV 2 and I'm guessing at this point that you don't either. Has your girlfriend been tested to know if she has HSV 2? Eight percent of those infected don't know it. Without knowing anyone's status, I really can't answer this question.
Terri