Hsv test results IGG / IGM and moving forward

[Lotusflower94]

Hi so I have some questions over my test results I received last week. I get tested regularly for all stds, including herpes. I was last tested in October and my blood test came back clear.

Fast forward to now, I recently had sex one time without a condom about a month ago. That same day I had a fever, the fever lasted on and off til the weekend after and I have not been intimate since. At that point I also noticed some soreness- discovered ONE small bump on my labia that I have never experienced before. I picked at it (thought it was a pimple) and it started go away as did my fever. That area started burning and stinging to the point where it was uncomfortable to walk or sit a few days after so I did as my OB told me and went in to get checked. I got the lesion tested and the results came back positive for hsv2.

I also got my blood tested both IGM & IGG. Both were positive for hsv2 (IGM-3.8) (IGG-5.4 hsv2) (IGG-.21 hsv1) I asked my doctor what that meant and she said that I was previously infected but also have a current infection which was the lesion. I told her I had previously been tested in October and was fine and that one bump is the only outbreak so I'm not sure when I could've been infected and she said that she thought because I had sex and then a week after that showed up that my results could just be reading this way because I have a current outbreak and more than likely it was from the one encounter I had.

After reading up on these tests I'm not sure what to think. Would my IGG test show up positive only a week and a half after having unprotected sex with someone who is infected one time? I read that these results usually take 3-6 months to show up on an IGG. I also read that IGM results are inaccurate. I'm really new to this and am just trying to figure out how long I might have had this and whether or not I need to tell my ex who I was with a few months beforehand if there's a chance it might've been from him although I was with him when I last got tested in October. There is just a lot I don't know, Since this is my first outbreak should I get re tested in 6 months? Or does it even matter?

I am also trying to figure out how often I should take valtrex. Should I wait to see if I have another outbreak since I only had that one bump or should I get the daily medication and just not take it everyday if I am not sexually active?

[Life360_Dave]

Hi firstly hsv symptoms dont appear the same day as the infection but takes about a week or so for the body to react and if your swab of the sore is positive then that would be conclusive and with a number 5 and above would indicate youve had this quite some time. I say indicate. Not sure why your first blood test was negative and really not sure when you got it as most specialists say numbers dont mean anything only those 3.5 and above.
As far as meds you can down load the Updated herpes handbook by terri warren and will recommend the dosage there.

[Lotusflower94]

It's just really bizarre if I have had it beforehand because I had no issues at all until these last few weeks. It was just the one time I had sex I then got a fever and the sore a week later but if it's showing up on an IGG test I'm not sure how it would've shown up that fast if I had just gotten it in the last month...

[Life360_Dave]

even at 8 weeks it unlikley you would have a 5 but even thats not conclusive as most specilaist say the only numbers that mean anything is 3.5 and below as would indicate a false positive. But do realize this that a sore would show up before the fever so if the fever showed up before the sore i would lean towards an old infection. Its just something youll never know unless your last partner gets tested and has a high hsv2 number.