Genital HSV and weak immune system, still confused please help.

[Penelope25]

Hi, it's almost been a yr since I was diagnosed with genital HSV 1 via culture and blood work. I had one major outbreak which was the first one, after that I had the so called paper cut looking and feeling outbreak that went away just a few days after taking valtrex, and that's it.

I'm still puzzled on how igot it, last person I was with was tested negative for hsv 1, plus we used protection. Before him I did have unprotected sex with someone I was dating but that wAs 8 months prior. I have lupus and my immune systems is suppressed. Would a virus such as herpes be dormant with a suppresses immune system? Why haven't I had major outbreaks like I expected to have because of my weak immune system? Should I get retested for hsv?

Please help

[Penelope25]

Ok thank you so much for your help.

[Life360_Dave]

Yes it could be assumed that it is. Numbers around 3.5 to 4 could be considered recent.

[Penelope25]

His about the igg being high? Is that really a sign of an older infection?

[Life360_Dave]

With igm, it is believed that they show first in the igm then dissapear but your correct it really doesnot matter. herpes can and is quite common never to have outbreaks. A weak immune system would not have any bearing on herpes when they are confirm positive.

[Penelope25]

I've read that you can get infected and not show it for months of years, that's it's just dormant. Is that really possible, especially on someone with a weak immune system?

And yes I had a sore but go it tested a few days after it appeared not right away not sure if that matters, also my dr said that the antibodies on the igm shows a recent infection, but that the igg was high and that it shows an older infection, whatever that means. She wasn't very helpful and seem to have doubt her self and would get frustrated when I asked her questions.

[Life360_Dave]

With the swab you had, was it of a sore that appeared in your genital area that came back positive for hsv1? If yes, its really not possible to confirm where you got it but oral would be a more likely culpret do to the high shedding rates for oral herpes.
Not sure what your asking about herpes being dormant. people get outbreaks and some dont get outbreaks.

[Penelope25]

That's where I'm confused, the one time I did have unprotected sex he didn't have any sores plus I know he got tested frequently because he was a cop and a marine and gets tested often. The one guy that gave me oral didn't have any cold sores, and we made out all the time and had sex wouldn't I have gotten it on my lips first. I know it doesn't matter as how I got it, but it's driving me crazy because I am so careful. I had unprotected sex once and 8 months later I have herpes. And don't know how and from who. And it terrifies me to be with anyone again.

And can would you know if herpes would be dorman for 8 months in someone with. Low immune system?

[Life360_Dave]

Hi, when a swab of a sore comes back positive for herpes, that would be considered conclusive and no further testing needed. Having mild or very infrequent outbreaks is consistant with hsv1 genital and most that acquire hsv1 genital from what ive read contracted it from oral sex with a person who was lip shedding for had a lip sore that was about to appear a few hours prior to the oral sex but it certainly could have been from genital to genital.
But do keep in mind that with the genital sex, if the person did not have any genital sores at the time the odds you contacted it from that is very very low as shedding for genital hsv1 is only about 3-5% of the time where as oral shedding is 9-18% of the time.