Freaking out and pissed off!! :(

So I  had my annual check up for STD's and wanted full work up however was told by the clinic that they do not offer blood test to check for herpes as it is expensive and will only do a culture if there are symptoms. What I want to know is if 1 out of 4 people have herpes and from what I have read about 90% don't show signs why is it not mandatory to do a blood test. I dont understand this logic. So basically if you are one of the lucky people who never shows signs and dont even think to get yourself tested you can infect someone who could be one of the unlucky people who will show symptoms and only then could you possibly find out you were a carrier.????

That being said I had to go to another clinic and pay over $200 to do the testing myself as I was horrified and paranoid and would not want to unintentionally infect someone. My results came back and it was positive with a numerical value of 5.0. I am completely devastated!!! I have never had any symptoms or an outbreak, not even an ingrown hair or yeast infection to even misread a possible infection..I have no idea what I am gonna do or even where to start dealing with this.

I have read all these various blogs,articles,posts and there is so much contradictory information out there and I am trying to decipher what is true...is there any way to know when one is shedding?(again as I have never had an outbreak), are there certain things I can do: eat, drink, etc that will aid in not transmitting it to someone(I prefer natural remedies if any are available), how do I even bring this up? I just feel like my life is over : (

Please Help!!

[gracefromHHP]

Just to confirm - that was a hsv2 igg of 5? what was your hsv1 result?

The free herpes handbook by Terri warren, our medhelp herpes expert, is an accurate source of info.  It's updated regularly and isn't filled with any gloom and doom nor false information. If you want more than the handbook tells, her book "the good news about the bad news" is under $20 on amazon and goes into far more details than her free handbook.

are there natural remedies that reduce recurrences and viral shedding? None that we've found so far.  Be careful reading websites that say otherwise because most of what they tout either showed no effect on animals or are just traditional treatments for viral infections in general.  

Can you know when the virus is active? Only if you have obvious symptoms.  

so what do you do now that you know you have hsv2?  Do you have a regular partner?   Since you know you have herpes, you can take steps to reduce the risk of transmission to a partner minimal.  Ask potential partners to seek out herpes testing to know their own status. You can't make educated decisions about precautions until you know who has what.  If your partner is male and is hsv2 negative, if you did nothing but avoid sex anytime you had anything going on genitally, he'd be 96% likely on average not to contract hsv2 from you each year.  If you also take daily suppressive therapy and use condoms properly, he's be 99% likely each year not to contract hsv2 from you. To give you something to compare it to, the real risk of pregnancy while just using the birth control pill for contraception is 8%, double the risk of transmitting your hsv2 to a male partner with minimal precautions.  

Preaching to the choir about routine herpes testing here :(

keep asking questions!

grace

[dazedandconfusedone]

Yes sorry it was for HSV2 that my numerical value was 5.0..my HSV1 came back negative with a numerical value of like .49...

As I said I have never had an outbreak of any sort or any kind of symptoms and only reason I got checked was because I was told at the clinic I could be checked for everything except herpes unless I had actual symptoms...had I never asked about this I would have never gotten tested as I never had any issues...I am just still stunned and angry that it isnt part of required STD testing...its just unbelievable :(

[gracefromHHP]

thank you for clarifying those results for me.  

you can confirm your hsv2 result with a herpes WB for peace of mind since you've never had symptoms.  Never a bad idea to have the WB confirmation just to be sure.

[dazedandconfusedone]

I have heard about this WB test...where does one actually get this test..is this something offered and particular clinics and about how much for it?..

I would definitely be interested in taking it, again since I have not had any symptoms or issues in that area...

If it turns out that I do indeed have this and am just a 'carrier' am I more or less likely to transmit this to others..or does it even matter?

thanks so much for your help! :(

[tommyboy622]

I have HSV-1 genitally can I get HSV-1 orally.  Can my partner who has HSV-1 orally get HSV-2 genitally. Can we give each other oral sex?

[gracefromHHP]

you aren't in the US right?

[dazedandconfusedone]

are you directing this at me?? I am in the United States

[gracefromHHP]

AB isn't a state abbreviation hence why I asked.

you can get the herpes WB through any quest lab in the US.