Aa
false positive
Two years ago I was tested for all STD's and tested positive for Herpes type 1 and Negative for Herpes Type 2 and everything else. This was at least 2 years after possible previous exposure. 6 months ago I had two bumps come up on the left side of my anus and terrible pain entirely on the left side all the way up to the vagina. It was swabbed and came back negative for Herpes. At this time my doctor concluded that I had shingles since the only person I have been with since my last testing is my boyfriend of 3 years who was never with anyone previously. Just recently I had three bumps come up on the right side of my vagina that were gone the next day, never popping or anything. I again went to the doctor because I began to have pain constantly in that area and around the vulva. The doctor swabbed what she said was vaginal cracking and ordered a blood test. The culture came back negative but the blood test is what is confusing me. My blood test came back positive again for herpes 1 which was expected but also positive for herpes 2 with a number around 1.8 if I remember correctly. For about the past three weeks i have been in pain but had no bumps appear. My pain is like a burning pain around the vulva, and sometimes anus. There is also a throbbing or aching feeling i get in the right side of my vagina. I guess my main questions are could this be herpes showing up years later with a negative test too? Is my test a false positive and I actually have something else going on?
if she is following current cdc recommendations for herpes testing then indeed she should be confirming every single low positive with additional testing - either a lesion culture of active symptoms or a WB !!!
congrats on finally getting the answers you need!!
congrats on finally getting the answers you need!!
I just got a call saying that my western blot came back positive for HSV 1 and Negative for HSV 2. I asked the doctors nurse what my doctor thought of this and the results and she said that she thinks that I am in fact negative and wonders if she should retest every one with low positives with the western blot. This makes me feel much better. Can I trust these results? Thank ya'll very much for everything you do to make people aware. I hope I have made my doctor aware.
Be seen by your provider is the best thing to do. Having them culture the bumps could also be helpful in easing your fear. At this point work with your doctor.
I am having the burning sensation still on my labia. I also had some bumps appear on my panty line again. They do not seem to be blisters or anything. They are not itchy or painful just kind of sensitive to touch. Normally when I get these bumps they are gone in a day or two without popping or anything. When i wear a panty liner, as I have been, they appear because it rubs my cheek and area between the vagina and the inner thigh. With everything going on though i am over analyzing everything that happens. I also had a return of my coccydynia feeling and took my anti-inflammatories that the doctor prescribed me last time. I somehow seem to relate everything to herpes though but am still wondering why it would lie dormant for all of these years and then all of a sudden show up with constant symptoms for the last 6 or 7 weeks.
if you have new symptoms, be seen and get them looked at. if they suspect herpes, they can do a lesion culture and typing.
hi grace,
I went in today to get blood drawn for a western blot. Hopefully my results will be coming in within the next couple of weeks. I am hoping for the best but I can't help by notice new symptoms everyday. I will let you know my results of the western blot when I get them.
I went in today to get blood drawn for a western blot. Hopefully my results will be coming in within the next couple of weeks. I am hoping for the best but I can't help by notice new symptoms everyday. I will let you know my results of the western blot when I get them.
actually if they are following CDC herpes testing guidelines, indeed it is warranted. knowing your status is important because you can't treat unless you know if you have it or not and you can't protect a partner unless you know your true status!
It'll cost you just under $180 out of pocket.
it's very likely that you don't have hsv2 and have a false positive so this is well worth following up on.
It'll cost you just under $180 out of pocket.
it's very likely that you don't have hsv2 and have a false positive so this is well worth following up on.
I got my test results back. HSV 1 was 1.12 and HSV 2 was 1.57. I have asked about the western blot since this is still low. The only way insurance will cover it is if my doctor puts the code that there is a medical need for it. Which the doctors office says there is no medical need for it. If my insurance does not cover it, how much does the western blot cost? I am still continuing to have the same symptoms. I had some bumps appear that are now red spots on my panty line. They are sensitive but are not raised anymore. What are my chances that the western blot would come back positive too?
your symptoms sound like an upper respiratory infection and not related at all to what is going on in your genital/anal area.
I called my doctor last week because I was still having pain. The nurse said that I needed to finish my prescription of valtrex and if it didn't go away then they would know it is something else. I took the valtrex 2 times a day for 4 days when I ran out. I still had the pain so I went to the doctor yesterday. When describing my pain to her she says she doesn't know why I have the burning pain around the vulva and anus but the pain at the opening of my vagina seems to be vulvodynia. She gave me some medicine to put there. Yesterday I came down with a really bad sore throat, fever, and chest pain. Could this be related to herpes or any of this? I don't understand why all of this would hit me so many years later even with a negative blood test 2 years ago. I am going to see my regular doctor tomorrow about the my sick feelings. I also repeated my blood test and the results will be in later this week.
don't hesitate to get a consult from a different gyn too. sometimes what one misses, another will find.
No they have no looked for hemorrhoids. I just figured the pain around the anus was normal because ever since i got the bumps and pain that she thought was shingles I have had pain there. It comes and goes and some days are better than others but no more bumps ever showed up, the pain just lingered.. That is almost the same pain I am experiencing now but it has moved around the vulva area with that one dull pain on the right side of the vagina. My doctor examined me and saw nothing going on even though I had the pain. I stopped taking the valtrex then. That was about 2 weeks ago.
There are so many things that can cause us gals issues down yonder. At this point I'd continue going to your gyn as needed for the pain. Have they also checked you for internal hemorrhoids in your anus? if you have a large hemorrhoid it can cause referred pain and put pressure on other areas too.
even if you really do have hsv2, recurrences aren't likely to cause pain like this for 3 weeks, even without treatment.
I'd also stop taking the valtrex at this point. That way if they see any lesions, they can culture them and get you answers.
even if you really do have hsv2, recurrences aren't likely to cause pain like this for 3 weeks, even without treatment.
I'd also stop taking the valtrex at this point. That way if they see any lesions, they can culture them and get you answers.
Yes, I am looking into further testing. My doctor suggested I wait a month and do blood tests again. At that point I am going to ask about the Western Blot. I just wanted to know if my symptoms and past testing could suggest herpes. I would have never thought my symptoms were herpes related until I got the positive result. Now i am afraid I am trying to relate everything to herpes. I have been in uncomfortable pain for over 3 weeks now. I am afraid that if my doctors assume it is herpes they will not look for anything else wrong.
It could be HSV and it may not. You should look into the western blot testing to verify things. Let's not speculate until you have been properly tested. This could be anything.
Thank you. I will be sure to tell my doctor about that. In your experience, with my symptoms and past testing, does this sound like herpes? While waiting for my blood test results my doctor prescribed me valtrex. I took it everyday which never seemed to help my pain. I actually felt like it got worse because I had nerve issues all the way up to my shoulders. I decided to stop taking the valtrex to see if I would have any blisters or bumps form. The pain and discomfort has stayed the same. Some days I think it is better but then all of a sudden it will start burning or hurting.
if you are in the US, your provider can update their herpes testing education by reading the CDC 2010 herpes guidelines. there is terrific info in there for your provider to better understand the testing that she is ordering.
If your provider uses quest labs , it's test #34534 for the herpes WB. It's a send out for quest so your local quest lab might be a little confused but tell them to look at the send out info.
If your provider uses quest labs , it's test #34534 for the herpes WB. It's a send out for quest so your local quest lab might be a little confused but tell them to look at the send out info.
Thanks for responding!
Yes, my partner of three years was a virgin before me. Both of my herpes cultures have come back negative. That includes the one from six months ago and the one a few weeks ago when my symptoms started. I have asked my doctors nurse about it being a low positive but she was not aware that there are low positives. The only thing she said was that it could be a lab error. I also asked about taking a biokit or a western blot and she had never heard of either for herpes. I was planning to do a blood test and talk to my doctor when I go back in june but if my pain persists everyday I don't think I can wait that long. I explained my pain at my last appointment which had been hurting a little over a week and she had no explanation. I have researched many different things on the internet but try not to believe everything. I know plenty of other things can cause my pain but because my test came back positive, I can't get past this. I can't help but think that maybe my last test was a false negative but that would have been almost 3 years since last possible exposure maybe even more.
Yes, my partner of three years was a virgin before me. Both of my herpes cultures have come back negative. That includes the one from six months ago and the one a few weeks ago when my symptoms started. I have asked my doctors nurse about it being a low positive but she was not aware that there are low positives. The only thing she said was that it could be a lab error. I also asked about taking a biokit or a western blot and she had never heard of either for herpes. I was planning to do a blood test and talk to my doctor when I go back in june but if my pain persists everyday I don't think I can wait that long. I explained my pain at my last appointment which had been hurting a little over a week and she had no explanation. I have researched many different things on the internet but try not to believe everything. I know plenty of other things can cause my pain but because my test came back positive, I can't get past this. I can't help but think that maybe my last test was a false negative but that would have been almost 3 years since last possible exposure maybe even more.
your hsv2 igg is a low positive and very well could be a false positive. At this point you'll need to follow up with a herpes WB blood test to confirm your status unless your lesion culture comes back as + for hsv2 of course.
your partner of 3 years was a virgin before you? Just wanted to make sure I understand things properly.
many other things besides herpes can cause issues genitally. hopefully you and your providers can get to the bottom of things!
grace
your partner of 3 years was a virgin before you? Just wanted to make sure I understand things properly.
many other things besides herpes can cause issues genitally. hopefully you and your providers can get to the bottom of things!
grace
most people have herpes. the only way to know is through blood test wich most clinics dont bother with or treat until outbreak thats confirmed herpes. and sometimes you may so negative on a blood test when your in fact positive. many couples divorce or break up because one will test positive and the other wont even tho if tested in the appropriate window they would both have tested positive. ask your doctor to explain it, it is highly complex and hsv1 and hsv2 are completely diffrent and one does not turn into the other. herpes is not an issue unless outbreak occurs in the vagina during delivery as it can be passed to baby and cause blindness and other awful things. its best to always make sure to share your positive resultwith your ob if and when you get preggo. most people with hsv2 do not show symptoms or commonly mistake razor burn dot(ingrown hair like pain and bump) when it a herpes outbreak. it is very hard to tell especially with someone who has an excellent immune systom, as one gets older the immune system weakens thus worse outbreaks. people who are rarely sick often never know they have hsv2 because they never outbreak so they think, and with hsv1 not everyone having that will know because not all will experience a coldsore. you can get hsv1 from kissing grandma as a kid sharing drinks lipgloss, smoking bowl with friends sharing a cig ect. hsv2 is ONLY transferred from genital to genital contact with someone who has the active virus, which may or may not be noticeable, like a penis may be infected and active and look completley "clean". which is why you should always use protection and only sleep with who youd stay with, because balls arent covered in a condom so its still transferrable. no one wants to be the cause of an infants blindness, it like hpv, most people are carries and have no stinking clue then next thing you know your married and contract it and at 40 have cervical cancer/ herpes/ warts on your feet or hand...all depending on the strain of hpv. hepes is sooo common and impossible to really control because most places do not test unless it a breakout with reason to do so that most every person you see walking around prolly has herpes 1 or 2 or both. thats the reality.
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.
