HerpeSelect Test

How accurate is this test? I just came back from Planned Parenthood and that is the test they used. They told me I was posistive for both HSV1 and HSV2. Which I have never ever showed a symptom or symptoms of Herpes. But the nurse practioner who seen me said that I was posistive for both and I had had them for a very long time becuase the numbers where so high. My mom has cold sores and so does my brother but I never have. I have been with the same man for two years. He too has never had a sign or symptoms of herpes. So could this test be wrong? Or what is the deal?

[msmonte]

if i was you i would try to go to a diff place and see if the test come back the same.

[gracefromHHP]

the herpeselect is a very accurate test. I can best help you if you get the results ofyour test and post them here - ie hsv1 igg 4. 5 and hsv2 igg 3. 9 or whatever they are if you want more help with your test results.

meanwhile I suggest you take the time to read the herpes handbook at www.westoverheights.com. it's a terrific resource to learn morea bout herpes and treatments.

has your man been tested yet? if not that's your next step so that together you can figure out what precautions, if any, you want to start taking.

grace

[anonperson]

Ok I just called and received the results... Here they are

HSV 1 igg: 3.28
HSV 2 igg: greater than 5.0

But I have never showed a symptom. Does that mean I never will or what? Do I have it or do I need to go get tested somewhere else? I was tested 6-7 months ago for HSV and came back Neg on both and keep in mind been with the same man for almost 2 years.

[gracefromHHP]

At this point your man needs tested to see his results.

Also your after effects of your blotched wax job very well could've been your symptoms too. Trauma in the genital area can trigger recurrences.

How did they test you for hsv before?  There's no reason to repeat this test since your igg is well over the false positive range.

grace

[anonperson]

I was tested the same way with the same test 6-7 months ago. I have no symptoms never had. I went and seen a doctor about the burn I had from the wax and she said no way could that be herpes didn't even look like Herpes that it was already starting to leave a scar (it left a big scar). She said first there were no blisters, no sickness, no pain with urinating, no pain to the sore (other than when I wore really tight jeans and walked a long way and it hurt at the end of the day) or when used peroxide with baby powder :( ), no itchyness/pain before or anything like that or pain in buttocks or leg. But I had a wax before done by the same place and person and never had any affects like this. And the WAX was hot I jumped like a little girl when it ran down to the place I got the burn lol

So what I am asking is since I have not been having any symptoms will I get symptoms? The doctor who tested me said I had had it for awhile since it was so high. So I didn't know if that meant my body has already built up antibodies to fight off breakouts or what?

My Partner went and got tested today we should know in a few days. What is the chance he has it, if indeed he didn't give it to me? We have had unprotected sex for the past year and some change. We both agreed that we are not passing blame if we both have it. We both have never showed any kind of symptoms of herpes. He gets what looks like one pimple every now and then on his penis but our dogs also sleep with us and sometimes have fleas. And he has other bites on him.

What is the likely hood of me going this long without any symptoms to ever showing symptoms?

[maya111]

i would get retested using the rapid bio kit test but like grace said (she is helping me as well) but its well over the 3.5 mark. the rapid test is a conformation test to the hsv igg-focus elissa tests(for people with results under 3.5) and to be over 99% accuracy get the western blot. Lord knows i know about planned parenthood and their non resourceful doctors lmfao i found all my informaion on this website and in journals etc... they didnt even know anyhting about. I even printed out all the information i found to give it to my doctor receptionist for her sister etc..(planned parenthood) and they still havent read it or called me they really dont care :( they havent helped me at all so find a primary obgyn doctor for testing/pap smears serious stuff etc...planned parenthood is only good at giving out birth control!

[maya111]

in 3-4 months get retested this test is really weired a lot of false positives and negatives i didnt even know about and i work in a hospital and i cant find anyone that hardly knows anyhting. read my posts as well hope something helps

[anonperson]

Well If my boyfriend is Negative I am going to go get retested somewhere more reputable than plan parenthood. Becuase god only knows my test could have gotten mixed up with someone elses

[gracefromHHP]

If you were negative a few months ago and positive now, chances are good that he won't be negative but we'll see from his test results and go from there.  A "pimple" in the genital area isn' t likely to be due to fleas - fleas would leave marks all over the body, not just on the penis ( besides flea bites don't pimple either - they stay relatively flat and red ).  

If you need help with his test results, we can help you with those too.

So what does this mean for the future? Well only time will tell if you start noticing ob's or not. Most folks after they find out they are infected do start noticing symptoms in the future.  

Keep asking questions as you have them :)

grace

[maya111]

yeah planned parenthood is like this test somewhat reliable but in my case they are only good to pick up birth contorl! because you have hsv1 from what i was reading could show a false positive for hsv2(even possibley make your hsv2 number higher). this is why the test will never be at zero because of hsv 1&2 (also herpes vaccines and people with antibodies in certain races like african, spanish and indian) chicken pox (and vaccines), shingles,ezcema (eczema),herpes encephalitis, even hepres from smallpox vaccination (didn even know could happen)etc.. too many to name! i dont even think the manfactures of these tests even know if they can pick up these antibodies in certian populations because everybody is different and no test is 1000% accurate the only test close  about 98.9% accurarate unless its a western blot. but with all test there is human error so i would retest with the rapid hsv igg bio kit or have a western blot. they even say to retest in 3-4 months antibodies should be present then. both my past partners are negative as well so its really weired if you dont have any symptoms and everyone else is negative. i hope our situations work out :) kit grace is helping me as well she's awsome and the only real help more than my doctor knew sad :(

[anonperson]

Yea see I have never showed symptoms of HSV 1 or 2!!! Never!!! I was tested greatly while I was in the military and such and was always neg! See I am thinking since both of them came back positive then the HSV 1 could have made the HSV 2 go up! That is what I am hoping for anyways. The results were as stated above! Maybe I am just reaching to far on this hoping that the HSV1 made the HSV2 go up. Because people say when your above 5.0 then there is NO chance the test could be a false positive!! I highly doubt that!! I am going to go get tested again in 6 weeks I think and see what the numbers are then. But it really depends on if my BF is positive or neg. Because I know he is pos for HSV1 because of his cold sores. I just don't know what to do.
I am starting to notice like itchyness down there but I think it is seriously in my head because never had that at all before and it is not a constant itch it is more random and does't last long! So I am positive it is in my head all the way on that lol! Just nervous I guess you could say.

I mean if I am positive and I have went this long without symptoms then what are the possibilties I will never show a symptom? And I don't know about the flea bites on his penis but I do know he has them other places as well.  Hmmm I wonder why people can't look on the bright side of things and actually give people hope they don't have herpes. With that said..

It is really not a big thing to have herpes ALOT of people do and IT IS controllable- thank goodness. I see sometime in the next 5 years they will have a cure for herpes... We are to advanced in medical fields not to!

[maya111]

but no one wants to have anyhting especially if you never had anyhting. they say already they can kill the virus its on this website http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25511729/ really interesting! if you arent having symptoms i dunno neither am i and i'm going on past month number 2 since my last sex encounter. like one doctor told me its a mysterious desiese and different for everybody especially if you have no symptoms. i would re test using many tests combining results dont depend on just one test unless it's the western blot. i don't know if you read my blog it might be some info in there for you. if you find anyhting else interesting or new info give me a buzz! hope all is well for the both of us :)

[gracefromHHP]

The military doesn't include herpes testing in it's testing.  Is that the testing you think you had done 6-7 months ago that tested for herpes? If so, be sure to call and see if herpes was included in the tests you had done.  unless you have an obvious genital lesion that can be cultured, the military doesn't screen for herpes.  

If you are having itching, don't hesitate to go and be seen and get tested for yeast and bacterial infections.  You had a lot going on in your nether regions lately plus I assume were hanging out in water on vacation so it wouldn't be unusual for either of them to over grow and be an issue.

Unfortunately no there will not be a marketable cure in 5 years.  We are no where close and even if they did come up with one today, it would be 10 years minimum until it was offered to the general public to be honest.  I know I sound totally like debbie downer with this but it's the reality of it all.  We do have terrific treatments though that can significantly reduce ob's, reduce transmission to a partner and keep it pretty much a non-issue for most folks. They are also testing some new medications to better control the virus ( helicase primase inhibitors ) as well as some 'theracines' that if found effective could at least free us up from having to take pills so often.

So what are the odds that you won't ever have noticeable symptoms? Only about 20% of folks are truly asymptomatic in their infections. Most folks who think they've never had symptoms of genital herpes, just haven't been properly educated  in what to look for. As I said, most folks do start noticing signs of recurrences once they find out they are infected but only time will tell how it will be for you.  

denial that you have herpes is very, very common.  A hsv2 igg of over 5 isn't likely to be wrong though.  

grace

[anonperson]

Ok so let me get this and maybe I am wrong but HSV2 ALWAYS attacks the genitals? And HSV1 ALWAYS attacks the mouth or facial region? and YES everytime I had a STD check in the military I ASKED for the herpes and recieved the ACTUAL results! I was in the med field so they treated us different because we were "family" and we worked with patients... I think everything everything can be a false positive because people make mistakes everyday. This test is a very recent test as well and ALL the glitches hasn't been worked out on it! So who knows if there arn't more false positives because something conflicts with the test!!!

Denial-- please if I have it, I have it no big deal. I take a pill everyday or just when I am noticing something down there and that takes care of MOST of the problem. Not the end of my life or anything! And multiple ob arn't as common as people think. Your body builds up antibodies to fight it. People need to be positive on this website geesh happy happy- doesn't mean your life is done and such. Just means you have a skin condition down there. If properly taken care of no big deal!

[maya111]

no it can be vice versa but it is rare for having hsv 2 orally but can happen. no test is 100% accurate along w human error. i would not rely on one test but maybe 2-4 depending on results and percentage of accuracy of tests and weather or not you have symptoms. it's not like you have hiv but it seems its just as bad because of the horible recorrunces. but who really wants to explain to every future partner you have a std! everyone should be positive it's not like your dying of cancer or have a life threatning disease with no cure! but i like the phrase contagious skin condition down there! i'm in denial as well i think we all are no one wants to have a std and have to explain it to future partners.  i have found out so much informtaon it crazy but everyones test is never at zero becasuse of chicken pox, shinges, herpes vaccines, chicken pox vaccines etc...i think it could flucuate test but who knows i dont even think focus technologies knows! even some race populations already have antibodis for herpes (really weired africans,spanish, and indians) there is not enough information if you aren't having symptoms. there needs to be more trial studies. i just wish there was a cure or test for everything so people dont have to suffer! there are new advances coming for everything but for hsv they are trying out polymerase chain reaction PCR(helicase primase inhibitors)  which wakes up the virus to kill(it has to be awake to kill the virus not dorment) it but it will be at least 5 maybe 10 years for it to get approved by fda along withmore trial studies etc...

[anonperson]

Yea see I am 65% native american, but I think the are meaning the india people! See it is just so weird and yea some might be in denial because they have had no symptoms! I don't blame them. I have had chicken poxs and evry vaccine the military likes to give us! So WHO knows I am going to go get tested else where later on. My BF gets his results on monday! So it really depends on his results to be honest if I go get tested again!

[gracefromHHP]

Yes the info maya has been talking about applies to folks who live in India, not native americans.

If you need help with your bf's blood test results, either you can repost them on your thread on the std experts forum ( I see HHH invited you to make 1 more post there with them in ) or you can post them here. We can help you with them on either board.

Also just as a fyi - the herpeselect blood test has been on the market for over 10 years now.  

grace

[sincethen]

Ok, um you do know that you can be asystematic (meaning no symptoms but carry the virus) for herpes right? If you keep getting a positive result then you carry the virus and can transmit it through asystematic shedding. Depending on your genitic make up is whether you get symptoms or not, that's why the range of symptoms is so wide....so we are genitically pre-dipositioned to either react to this virus or not at all. In this case your body didn't physically respond with a sore, but you still have the virus and can spread it.

[maya111]

sincethen is right! i'm confused on whats goin on w me all i know is that i might be asymptomatic (still contagious) or not have it (hopefully false positive) or i might have antibodies because i have not had an outbreak! the whole diagnosis/testing (using many tests like 3) should be different if you dont have symptoms but vice versa if you have symptoms the tratment is still the same. i dont know about this whole antibody thing (just found out still researching) but i do  believe that people from india are related to native americans because of christopher colombus etc...migration/slavery etc... but who really knows where we are really from to determine if you have antibodies! i'm mixed w african american, native american and indian (from india i'm a mut) I dont even think the test would be helpful/resourceful/useful knowing that. should'nt they do some sort of antibody tests (especially w no sypmtoms and partners negative) first before to prove out false positives maybe that is why they happen so much along w chicken pox etc... herpes related families which dosent help i dunno! but what about false negatives i dunno i need to stay off of here i'm becoming an obsessive qwack(w no md liscence hopefully soon if i dont change my major because of crazy medical mysteris like this i dunno)

[maya111]

another carzy thought (yet another one does it end i dunno i just want this to be over)! is there informaiton/research/journal articles on pre exisitng antibody transmission (not asymptomatic) kind of the same but not really but does it matter how u obtained the antibodies if that makes sense through sex or pre existing (i'm going to research it i dunno)! well because not all antibodies are contagious but some can be etc...(what makes for transmission/non transmission(asymptomatic????) of pre existing antibodies or do they????) i dont think enough information/research is known on this disesase only if you have symptoms i just wonder why some people pre existingly(lol) have it and dont have any symptoms and some do.

[sincethen]

Calm down maya111, my goodness. It doesn't matter your ancestry on whether you have antibodies or not. If the virus is present you WILL have antibodies, ok? Antibodies are the things our bodies make. They are made SPECIFICALLY for that virus. The HerpesSelect test, specifically looks for the antibodies that match the oral or genital herpes virus, not chicken pox or or herpes family viruses. I think the IgM test looks for that, that's why it's not reliable only the IgG or HerpesSelect test is. Don't quote me on the IgM thing though that is just my guess. And like I said you can have antibodies, which means that you DO have the virus and you CAN spread it through asymptomatic shedding. The fact that you don't have symptoms just means that your body decided not to react to the virus. The fact that your boyfriend is negative could mean that he hasn't developed antibodies to it yet (which for some people can take 3-6 months), or he didn't get it from you yet, or he had a false negative. Just because you have the virus doesn't mean it's ALWAYS transmittable, but you should take precautions such as suppressive therapy like valtrex and a condom could help. My advise for you would be to take precautions for now but to get yourself and your boyfriend re-tested in 4-6 weeks just to make sure there weren't false positives or negatives. Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[maya111]

i'm calm (even though my questions dont seem to be but i'm living my life) but its so many unanswered questions "crazy" no one knows or can say for sure if the test can pick up on those herpes families etc... or even previous non std related antibodies maybe from birth etc.. which in an article some people have based on those races! I still havent found anyhting on transmission based upon how you recieved/contracted your antibodies because depending on how you got them would have a small effect other than how your body reacts to it. especially if you have a low positive under 3.5/3.0 thats the problem their is not enough research/trail studies other than having symptoms! i dont have symptoms and its igging me (not even a word just frustrated) i have been w both my partners: one for over a year and the last/other i was with for over 8 years and they have both gotten tested at least 2-3 times withinn the last month to a year and before my last sex encounter i hadn't had sex in over 6 months and there still negative so i dunno. i dont even know if i have it i had a low postive score which i'm hoping to God is a false positive which needs further conformation my doctor at planned parenthood didnt even know about all this info so i printed it out and gave it to them and they still didnt care knowing of false positives and human error i still have to find my conformation test rapid hsv igg bio kit to prove out fale positive or have the wb done. its goin on past month 2 since my last sex encounter and i thank God there is nothing below!!!!!!! There are at least 10 cases on here where peoples blood test/cultures have come back positive and they find out months/years later they didnt even have hsv. it happens so i dunno

[anonperson]

Ok here are his blood test results:

HSV 1 igg: greater than 5.0
HSV 2 igg: 1.76

He is the only partner I have had in almost 2 years. I have had 3 STD test including HSV testing as well (know for a fact they tested for HSV) in the last year and a half and one before we got together. So I know I was clean and there was no way that 4 test showed a false negative... But why is his number so low on the HSV 2 and mine is so high? Does that mean I gave it to him or that I have a great immune system (which I do) and my body builds up antibodies quickly? Or what?

I called back and talked to my doctor who seen me for my "burn" and asked her if that it could have been an outbreak and she said no. It looked like a classic burn.

[gracefromHHP]

your partners hsv2 result is a low positive and it wouldn't hurt for further comfirmatory testing to be done to make sure he really even has hsv2.  

if both of you test  + on the blood test there's no way to know who had it first.

grace