HSV Test results

Recently tested positive for IgM, negative for both IgG tests.  I have genital HSV symptoms.  I realize the IgM test is unreliable, but with symptoms I'm assuming I'm infected.

I'm wondering:
1. Is it possible that I've had HSV for a long time without noticing symptoms?  Or do these results seem to indicate a recent initial infection?
2. How long does it normally take for IgG tests to show positive (and whether it's HSV-1 or HSV-2) after initial infection?
3. Contracted via oral sex, so can I assume this is genital HSV-1?

Thank you.  This forum has been wonderfully helpful.

[gracefromHHP]

did you have any lesion cultures done?

if you had contracted genital herpes previously, it most likely would've been reflected in the igg blood tests you had done. the tests still miss 10% of all hsv1 infections but still , most folks will test accurately on them even for hsv1.

grace

[DWdec]

Have not had cultures done.  I've been told they're highly unreliable - is this not true?  

[gracefromHHP]

lesion culture done in a timely manner ( within 48 hours of symptoms ) that are + are accurate. The problem with lesion cultures are the high false negative rate mostly because they are done too many days into things.  Pcr is the best lesion cultures to have done on active symptoms since they are more sensitive.


At this point not much you can do but repeat your blood tests 4 months after the encounter in question and see if hsv1 is +. Even at that, you still have no way of knowing if you have it orally and/or genitally. were you seen when you had active symptoms and gotten a visual diagnosis of herpes?

grace