HSV 1

[764]

How long can HSV 1 genital stay dormant before you know you have it?  I had an genital outbreak two years ago.  The doctor took a swab culture and it came back negative even tho he was sure it was herpes.  There was no blood work done.  Two years later I get another genital outbreak, and decide to get blood work and swab done.  The swab came back neg., but the bloodwork test was positive for HSV 1 with an above than 3.5.  I was recently seperated so I was going thru alot of stress, but I had not had any type of sex for a few months.  The doctor says your first outbreak is usually 2 weeks from the originated date.  In my case that can't be possible.  Could it be possible to carry it for so long with no systems until now?

[gracefromHHP]

Not exactly sure what RIBA testing is. I know chiron had an non-fda approved riba herpes test at one point.  

pcr is polymerase chain reaction which pretty much looks for actual herpes dna in the swab when it's used for culture.

At this point you still just know that you have hsv1 but not where.  like I said, unfortunately no quick and easy answers as to if you have hsv1 orally or genitally :(

grace

[764]

Thanks grace , you must be busy all day helping people.  I have one more question.  And yes I see that at the top of my results about PCR testing.  Was is PCR and RIBA testing?

Here is my results HSV culture and typing   Negative
HSV 1 IGG Type Spec 4.80 High
HSV 2 IGG                  Neg .91
HSVAB&HSVIGM
HSV 1/II IGG                26.4 High
HSV I/II Combinations     .91 Neg

General Culture, Routine
Routine genital flora

[gracefromHHP]

At this point all you know is that you have hsv1 somewhere. The only way to confirm that it's genital is if you get symptoms again, be seen within 48 hours of their appearance and ask for a pcr swab of them for herpes which is more accurate than a regular viral lesion culture.  If you got a 3rd negative lesion culture, odds are that whatever is going on probably is not herpes.  

I know, not quick and easy answers by no means but sometimes you just can't get them :(

canker sores are not oral herpes.  

grace

[764]

Even tho both breakouts were genital, I still need to do a swab test?  Both times the swab test came back negative.  Could it be possible to have hsv 1 and never have an outbreak until later.  I am assuming that was my first outbreak two years ago, it was worse than the last one that was a couple months ago.  But the timeline of 2 weeks don't add up because of not having sex for the 4 to 5 months before my initial outbreak.
One other thing, I have had canker sores in my mouth since I was a kid.  They have always been on the inside of my mouth, never had fever blisters.  Maybe I should get them swabbed.  Is it possible that I got my genital outbreak from my mouth, if by any means that comes back positive for hsv 1?

Thanks for your help:)

[gracefromHHP]

The only way to know if your hsv1 is oral or genital is from a lesion culture of active genital symptoms.  The blood test being + for hsv1 doesn't mean it's genital by no means. Since you never had a blood test done the first time you had these symptoms, you have nothing to compare these results to now.

You had symptoms 2 years ago and then again now. If indeed this is herpes, this wouldn't have been your first ob so not having had sex for a few months is meaningless.  make sense?

grace