Help with HSV test results

[DCL1988]

I recently had dry, cracked chapped lips and continuously put on lip balm to try and heal it.  Instead I developed what looked like a rash on the center of my top and bottom lip.  No pain.  Minor itching.  Red with eventually a yellow scab.  I went to a dermatologist who took a culture (haven't received the results yet) and also ordered blood work to see if it was a cold sore.  These were my results:    

HSV I/II IgG Rflx I-II Type Sp

HSV, IgM I/II Combination <0.91
HSV I/II IgG 9.6 High
HSV 1 IgG, Type Spec 3.29 High
HSV 2 IgG, Type Spec <0.91

I'm a female in my 40s who has never had a cold sore before.  I'm married and have been with the same man for 20 years.  He has never had a cold sore or any unusual rashes.  I am in total shock and disbelief.  

Do my test results indicate that my lip rash was indeed herpes?
Should I ask for a 2nd test?
As a child, I had both chicken pox and mono.  Could that effect my test results?
Am I contagious to my husband and children?
Should they be tested?

I am devastated....

[gracefromHHP]

the igg testing can't tell how long you've been infected. It could've been something you picked up as a child or teen or something you picked up within the past few weeks.   no need to repeat your herpes igg blood testing at this point. changes in your results wouldn't be helpful as to new or old infection and unfortunately our blood tests aren't as accurate at detecting hsv1 as they are hsv2 so you might come back negative next test and really confuse yourself needlessly :(

herpes is not a part of routine pregnancy testing nor is it a part of routine std testing. you very well might never have been tested for herpes before this.

so if this is a newer infection for you - why now and not 20 years ago when you first starting smooching hubby?  You could've been with him for a lifetime without contracting it actually - it's as much about bad luck as anything.  

your combined herpes igg result of 9.6 is completely different than your type specific testing. trying to compare those results is the proverbial apples to oranges thing.  

you can and should keep kissing your kids!! just avoid doing so when you are sick ( for multiple reasons ) or when you have obvious lip symptoms.  

[DCL1988]

Dear Grace,

Thank you so much for such clear and helpful information!  I hope you don't mind a few more questions...

I’ll find out the culture results when I return to the doctor’s office next week.  I hope they were able to get an accurate result.

Now, like most people I’m sure, I am left wondering if Herpes is something that I’ve always had or if it is recent.

Does the numeric level of my test give any indication as to whether this is recent or something I’ve had long term?

Would a 2nd test help to pinpoint that information?  IE. If the 2nd test # was higher or lower, would that tell me if it’s something new to my body or if I’ve had it awhile?

I’ve had 2 children.  My youngest is just 6 yrs old.  From my research, it seems like HSV is something your OBGYN would test you for during the pregnancy blood work.  Am I right in thinking that?  If so, I would think I would have learned about this from my OBGYN during my pregnancies.  

If I didn’t have it during my pregnancies, it means that I was infected recently?  It just doesn’t make sense because I’ve been kissing only one person, my husband, for the last 20 years.  So why now?

My last question is:  What is the difference between HSV I/II IgG 9.6 High and HSV 1 IgG, Type Spec 3.29 High?  I'm wondering why one number is so much higher?  

I'm going to read the website you recommended for reducing the transmission of herpes to others.  It is just breaking my heart that I can't freely kiss my children the way I used to and am extremely cautious around them now.  I'm just so afraid to give this to them.

Thank you again for your reply.

[gracefromHHP]

1 out of every 2-3 people you know has hsv1. It's incredibly common. only about 20-40% of folks who have hsv1 orally, get obvious cold sores to know that they are infected.  

you know you have hsv1, that doesn't mean that your current symptoms were due to herpes. many things can cause those symptoms and only a lesion culture of symptoms that comes back + can help you figure out if they are herpes related or not. lesion cultures are most accurate when performed within 48 hours of the appearance of symptoms and they have a high false negative rate so unfortunately if the culture comes back negative, it's still not your final answer :(

no, chicken pox and mono don't affect your herpes igg blood testing results.

is oral herpes contagious? Yes it is. if it really matters to you, hubby will need to be tested to know his own status. As for your kids, we don't routinely test them.  http://www.ashastd.org/std-sti-works/Herpes/oral-herpes.html  has info for how to reduce the risk of transmission of oral herpes to others.

keep asking questions!

grace