Aa
HSV-2 and conflicting IGG results
I've done some stupid things in my life and afraid that I'm about to pay for it. I have on very many occasions had oral sex from street prostitutes and have had unprotected sex with 2 of them a total of maybe 10 times. I became concerned by a bump on my penis shaft around August 1st and immediately had a full panel of STI testing done on 8/4. I knew it was too early for most tests but needed some piece of mind. Prior to the results coming back i found out that it was just an ingrown hair and immediately felt relieved, however, all tests came back negative except for HSV2! I freaked out and got retested 8/8 for only HSV2, here are the results:
Labcorp 10 panel test on 8/4 - HSV1 - 4.31, HSV2 - 2.04
Quest HSV2 only test on 8/8 - negative (no actual number reported, only that it was <.9)
I figured i was OK and went about my life based on the quest negative test however i later developed a very small red bump on the top of my penis head near my corona. I also noticed what appears to be some small reddish/flesh colored pinhead sized bumps on the corona itself in mostly a line that follows the curvature of my corona. If i wasn't paranoid I'd think it was a very mild case of pearly penile papules but i hadn't noticed them prior to recently (in all fairness I also haven't examined my penis as thoroughly as i have recently due to these concerns). I kind of attributed the bump to friction from my penis rubbing the inside of my pants but maybe that was just wishful thinking. I've also had a very noticeable feeling of warmth in my groin area and inner thighs that comes and goes, and sometimes at night it feels as if the soles of my feet are warm and swollen.
Having said all that, I was stupid again and had unprotected anal sex with an escort (1 of the 2 mentioned above) on 10/6. The bumps on my corona/penis head haven't gone away, and their appearance hasn't changed at all really. I expected them to either get worse or start to heal but they remain the same. I've also noticed that my penis head in general feels irritated, especially when walking around and if there's a little urine left in my boxers it makes things worse.
At this point I figured I need to stop all of this, as the anxiety alone was driving me crazy. I again did a full STI panel on 10/11 and had the same results as the one prior, HSV2 positive. The IGG number was higher than previous test, so i figured there's no wayI don't have HSV2 as the antibodies have been building. I again freaked out and got tested for HSV2 only 10/18 with the following results:
Labcorp 10 panel test on 10/11 - HSV1 - 5.93, HSV2 - 2.79
Quest HSV2 only test on 10/18 - negative (no actual number reported, only that it was <.9)
I'm somewhat relieved, but very confused and don't know what to think. My penis warmth feelings have lessened but not subsided, the bumps on my corona and single bump on penis head are still there but have not changed in any way, and the general irritation I get on my penis from walking around still exists.
Lastly, I should mention that I am a kidney transplant recipient (due to an auto-immune disease) and on numerous anti-rejection meds (prograf, cellcept, prednisone).
My questions are:
1. Do I have HSV2 or not? Why does the Labcorp tests keep conflicting with the Quest ones, and which should I believe?
2. Does the fact that I'm on anti-rejection meds for an auto-immune disease affect the IGG levels reported?
3. What do my symptoms suggest?
Any and all help is greatly appreciated, I'm so lost and not sure what to do.
Labcorp 10 panel test on 8/4 - HSV1 - 4.31, HSV2 - 2.04
Quest HSV2 only test on 8/8 - negative (no actual number reported, only that it was <.9)
I figured i was OK and went about my life based on the quest negative test however i later developed a very small red bump on the top of my penis head near my corona. I also noticed what appears to be some small reddish/flesh colored pinhead sized bumps on the corona itself in mostly a line that follows the curvature of my corona. If i wasn't paranoid I'd think it was a very mild case of pearly penile papules but i hadn't noticed them prior to recently (in all fairness I also haven't examined my penis as thoroughly as i have recently due to these concerns). I kind of attributed the bump to friction from my penis rubbing the inside of my pants but maybe that was just wishful thinking. I've also had a very noticeable feeling of warmth in my groin area and inner thighs that comes and goes, and sometimes at night it feels as if the soles of my feet are warm and swollen.
Having said all that, I was stupid again and had unprotected anal sex with an escort (1 of the 2 mentioned above) on 10/6. The bumps on my corona/penis head haven't gone away, and their appearance hasn't changed at all really. I expected them to either get worse or start to heal but they remain the same. I've also noticed that my penis head in general feels irritated, especially when walking around and if there's a little urine left in my boxers it makes things worse.
At this point I figured I need to stop all of this, as the anxiety alone was driving me crazy. I again did a full STI panel on 10/11 and had the same results as the one prior, HSV2 positive. The IGG number was higher than previous test, so i figured there's no wayI don't have HSV2 as the antibodies have been building. I again freaked out and got tested for HSV2 only 10/18 with the following results:
Labcorp 10 panel test on 10/11 - HSV1 - 5.93, HSV2 - 2.79
Quest HSV2 only test on 10/18 - negative (no actual number reported, only that it was <.9)
I'm somewhat relieved, but very confused and don't know what to think. My penis warmth feelings have lessened but not subsided, the bumps on my corona and single bump on penis head are still there but have not changed in any way, and the general irritation I get on my penis from walking around still exists.
Lastly, I should mention that I am a kidney transplant recipient (due to an auto-immune disease) and on numerous anti-rejection meds (prograf, cellcept, prednisone).
My questions are:
1. Do I have HSV2 or not? Why does the Labcorp tests keep conflicting with the Quest ones, and which should I believe?
2. Does the fact that I'm on anti-rejection meds for an auto-immune disease affect the IGG levels reported?
3. What do my symptoms suggest?
Any and all help is greatly appreciated, I'm so lost and not sure what to do.
Your symptoms do not suggest hsv. You clearly have hsv1 and some times certain tests can have cross over. Ifor this were me I would contact the university of Washington and have them send you a western blot test kit. It's the gold standard of hsv testing and the result will be conclusive.
If you want to continue your sexual practices I strongly suggest a safer protected approach.
If you want to continue your sexual practices I strongly suggest a safer protected approach.
1 Comments
Thank you for your response. I'm definitely changing my ways, I can't go on risking everything as I have. Definitely a wake up call.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
