Devastating News... someone can please help me to understand??

[SADGIRL43]

About 10 days ago I saw my GYN because for a long time now I was having painful intercouse. She cheked me and said she would test me for Herpes. I've told her I was tested at least twice and both negative. Once about 6 1/2 years ago before I got married and then when I was pregnant in order to make sure that I could have a normal delivery. My husband also was tested negative about he same time we got married (6 1/2 years ago). We are both devoted to each other and faithful too. My husband is the first person I had sexual intercourse or any kind of sexual involvement.  He was once married but still he was tested before we got married for all kinds of STD's. Well... for our surprise, I've got a phone call for the doctor's office yesterday with a positive Herpes test!!!  I am not sure if she did only blood test or if she did the swab too... I honoestly don't remember... My husband and I are devastated and we can't understand exactly what happened!! I have a very compromised immune system... I've been sick for several months with all kinds of auto-immune diseases and I am also Diabetic... so I was wondering if by any chance, something happened and I became more vulnerable... I remember having could sores as a child and I am sure my husband had himself cold sore too... is it possible that we passed to each other through oral sex??? Any explanation or suggestion would be helpful... I can't stop crying and feeling ugly and dirty ... how can we do everything right and still get this kind of news??? Please, I would appreciate any insights... thank you in advance.

[gracefromHHP]

I can best help you with all of this if you call tuesday and ask them what test results came back as hsv+. If it was a blood test, ask them to read the results to you and write them down to post here - ie hsv1 igg 3.3 and hsv2 igg 2. 9 or whatever they are so I can see if you need additional confirmatory testing done or not.  If it was a lesion culture of active symptoms, find out if it was just hsv+ and assumed hsv2 or if it was specifically typed for hsv1 or hsv2.

Genital herpes would not cause you to have painful sex. It would only be painful when you have active lesions. If sex is painful each time you have it then herpes isn't the cause and an additional work up is needed to figure out what is going on.

grace

[SADGIRL43]

Hello Grace,
I just got a copy of the test. It was only a blood work and she didn't do a swab.
Here is the results (Lab used Quest - Herpesselect(R)).
HSV 1 IGG Type-Specific AB = 5.79
HSV 2 IGG Type-Specific AB = 0.03.

And yes, I have been having very painful intercourse for the past couple of months and most of the time, because it hurts me i bleed a little bit.

I just don't know what is going on! I had a ultrasound done and everything is normal.

Thanks again!

[gracefromHHP]

Your blood test is hsv1+ like most adults results will be. Even if you can't recall a history of any cold sores, odds are that it's an oral infection.  Only 20-40% of folks who have hsv1 orally, get obvious cold sores to know it.  Hsv1 genitally doesn't reoccur very often and certainly isn't likely to be the cause behind your pain.

Continue to follow up with your gyn to try to figure out what is going on. Herpes is 1 thing you can cross off your list though at least.

I hope you get answers and relief soon!

grace

[SADGIRL43]

Hi Grace,

Thank you for your comments. My doctor gave a prescription for Valtrex anyway.
It is very frustrating getting a straight answer from her... I asked her If I don't have a current cold sore and I don't have genital herpes why do I need to take Valtrex?? She didn't give a good answer... or better, any explanation... she said I should take just in case... but if I understood correctly, I should take Valtrex only in the beginning of the symptoms (outbreaks) right?? and more, for cold sores I should take only 2 doses... she prescribed 10 days!!!
Am I missing something?? I was thinking about no taking Valtrex since I don't have a cold sore and as I understand I don't have genital herpes... sorry, it sounds very confusing!! Thank you so much for your time! I really appreciate!

[gracefromHHP]

No reason to take a 10 day course of valtrex if you don't have any obvious oral lesions or genital lesions.  

Honestly I think your provider did testing that she doesn't fully understand what to do with. Same with the way she treated you - it wouldn't be a newly acquired infection so 10 days of treatment also wouldn't be needed.  You really are not the confused one :)

grace