Herpes Test Mess

[tortured10]

I had an incident at a strip club where the stripper stradled my face and my mouth was exposed to her vagina.  I subsequently got tested for STDs and all came back negative except HSV 2. My type specific score was 1.80 at 4 weeks exposure.

I didn't believe the result and went to a doctor who gave me a IGG combination test that came back negative at 5 weeks. At 15 weeks I tested again and he gave me a type specific test and an another combo test. The type specific came back at 2.10 and combo test again negative.  We decided to go for a Western Blot.  That was drawn at 25 weeks and has come back indeterminate.

My doctor told me he spoke with the WB people and they said they can't read one of the bands and do not recommend further testing. They feel that it will be indeterminate again. He said we should treat the two type specifics as false positives, and move on with my life.  

I don't want to do anymore testing and my doctory doesn't want to deal with me anymore.  He feels there is nothing here. What do you think?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I think you can stop testing.

Terri

[tortured10]

I can appreciate the challenge here.  I guess I am trying to understand the probability of a negative given the five tests I have had.  

The indeterminate WB combined with the two negative combo tests seem to be strong indicators of a negative, if what I have read in the various threads about low positive tests are true.  The pubMed studies and you and the doctors here have discussed the false positive outcomes with low positives.  Additionally, you have mentioned that the combo test was known to have false positives, which I have two negatives.

I don't want to go through more testing, but I realize you cannot give me a definitive answer.  I am just asking for your educated/experienced opinion on the likelihood.
Thank you

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I don't know what negative on the combination test means when it is pared with a low positive HSV 2 test.  

You are correct, there is no point in waiting 4-6 months is this is due to an old infection, but I thought we were talking about your concerns over the other contact.  I see that you tested with WB at 25 weeks, which I think I missed before, and that should probably be fine for a final result.

Terri

[tortured10]

I have had no other sexual experiences outside of my exclusive relationship of 18 years.

You don't comment on the two negative tests of IGG HSV I/II at 5 and 15 weeks.

Why would I wait 4 to 6 months if this is an old infection.

I can't get my doctor to order the test, since he feels that there is nothing there, so if I would not do further testing, how would you read the situation.

I have had no symptoms.

Also, I saw a thread from you that the combination test is not used anymore due to too many false positives.  Am I the rare example of two consecutive false negatives with this test?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I would tend to wait 4 months from the exposure and retest with the western blot.  If it is still indeterminate, then I would tend to believe that it is truly negative.  I'll look at this post tomorrow in the light of day, but for tonight, that is my response.  Indeterminates on western blot are not that unusual, but can drive the patient nuts, wondering what the truth is.  My guideline is this:  If you have two indeterminates 4-6 months apart, I call that a negative.  I seriously doubt infection from that encounter.  What about sexual contacts, other than that, around that time?

Terri