Herpes Results

Hello,

i have a question, i did the IGG test for herpes 1 and herpes 2. these are my results

HSV 1/2 IGG,Herpeselect      >5.00

HSV 2 IGG Type Specific      In Range 0.17


now, the doctor told me that  i dont have herpes 2, i have herpes 1 but my question is, when i was very young i had chicken pox and other common one time viruses that children get. my question is, is it possible that the test got confused with the chicken pox antibodies and gave me positive for herpes 1? should i retest? i never had an outbreak before, only one week ago i had a little white pimple in my penis so i poped it but that was it. it was not in the head. it was in the shaft. so can it be possible that antibodies of varicella got the test messed up with a false positive? i also know that i dont have type 2 because of the result 0.17. should i stop worrying about type 2 as well?

[gracefromHHP]

If you had a combined hsv1/2 test, you didn't have a herpeselect done. They don't offer a combined herpes test.  Some labs do the combined test first and if it's positive, then test for hsv2 with the herpeselect though just for hsv2.  

Your hsv2 igg is negative. You weren't specifically tested for hsv1 to know your hsv1 status.  

How long before you were tested had you last had sex? If you have a regular partner, have they  been tested for herpes yet?

grace

[xoleras111]

The last time that i had sex was on april 1st of this year 2009. i havent had any outbreaks only irritation on the penis but on nov 18 i had a little pimple and i just poped it and in 2 more days the redness of the pimple went away not i havent had any blisters of clusters of pimples also i masturbared yesterday and it could be because of the friction because i didnt use any cream but after masturbation a little red pimple appear in the head and the next morning it was gone. but i had been having burning sensation around my penis and a little of irritation but not clusters of pimples or anything else. also the doctor told me that i was negative for type 2 because of the result 0.17 and that i was positive for type one (out of Range 5.0) so if you say that i was not tested for HVS 1 why it was out of range 5.0 and where it said HVS 2    0.17 - negative. what does that means? also when i was a little kid i had chicken pox or varicella. could the test got confused with the chicken pox? let me know if you think based on my result that i am clean of type 2 based on the exams. so you said that i was tested for two and i was negative so you don't think that it means that i am positive for type 1 if i am negative for type 2? also why it saids type 1  5.0 and type 2 (0.17)?

Thanks for your help.

[xoleras111]

Grace,

I forgot to mention that i had sex on April 1, 2009 and i did the exam on November 18th 2009. so my question is am i negative for HSV 2? if so why i score 5.0 on HSV 1 then? doesnt that means that i am positive for HVS 1? thats what my doctor told me, what do you think grace?

[xoleras111]

also i did other STDS like HIV and routine blood test so maybe they did the herpes separate but they included in the same result sheet? the lap that did all my exams are Quest Labs. it took around a week to get the herpes results.

[gracefromHHP]

The way you posted your results is that you had a combined hsv1/2 test that resulted with a >5 result. You have no way to knowing if that's + due to hsv1 or hsv2 or even falsely positive. It's an older test and used to be the default testing at most lab corp labs.  Since it was +, they then did specifically test for hsv2. Because this was done enough time after the last time you had sex, you can be comfortable with your hsv2 negative result.  I assume your provider just assumes that since your hsv2 is negative and your combined test is +, that means that you have hsv1 which isn't always accurate.

Whatever caused your symptoms recently, it's not likely it was herpes.

grace

[xoleras111]

Grace,

so you are saying that i might be clean of herpes 1 and herpes 2???

[xoleras111]

Grace now that i look at the result sheet this is how it looks

HSV 1/2 IGG, Herpeselect
Type Specific AB
HSV 1 IGG Type Specific         >5.00
AB

Is that the same test as the one that i did for HSV 2? if is the same, doesnt that means that it is positive for 1?

[gracefromHHP]

that is different from how you originally posted it. as you've posted it now, you did have a type specific test for hsv1 and hsv2 both.  Your hsv1 is + and your hsv2 is -.

Odds are that your hsv1 is oral.  http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn_oralherpes.cfm  has terrific info on oral hsv1.


You still have no reason to think that your recent genital symptoms were due to herpes from what you've described.

grace

[xoleras111]

grace,

Thanks you for your help. one last question, since i had chicken pox when i was a little kid, is there any chance that the positive hsv 1 is due to the antibodies of the previous chicken pox virus that i had when i was 3 or 4 years if age?

[gracefromHHP]

no.

grace

[xoleras111]

grace, i made a mistake my last sex intercourse was on may 29 2009 not march 29. and i did both test specific for herpes 1 and 2 and november 18 2009. do you think that it is enough time to get an accurate negative on both test? i was negative on herpes 2 and positive on herpes 1 like i explained before, i just made a mistake on the month.


Thank you

[gracefromHHP]

yes that was more than enough time.

grace

[xoleras111]

Grace,

you are always very helpful thank you for everything, i have another question. so you are saying that 5 month and 2 weeks after my last intercourse is more than enough time to get an accurate test result, that i dont need to wait for 6 month to do it anymore that i could have peace of mind since i did both exams 5 month and 2 weeks after my last sexual intercourse? also how come that i havent had any out breaks from herpes 1? do you think that it could be because i have a high antibodies amount in my system, 9.8 and the maximun is 10.0? also is there a way to know if i had acquired the herpes 1 recently in my last sexual encounter or i had it before 6 month ago, i would like to know more or less without asking my ex since we dont talk anymore. i had a 5.0 out of rage result for herpes 1  and it was a specific type and ofcourse i had 0.17 of herpes 2 that is negative and also specific type.


Thanks for the help.

[xoleras111]

Hi, is it true that if you have hsv 1 it is harder for the igg test to detect hsv 2, is that true? since i did both iggs for hsv 1 and hsv2 in about 5.2 month after getting infected with hsv 1 , i was wondering if i need to retest again with the igg test to make sure that i did not get a false negative when i tested myself the first time for both. also which one is more accurate the igg or WB? should i retest for hsv 2? or there is no reason why my result of 0.17 would not be accurate at 5.2 month. i had 5.00 for hsv 1 and 0.17 for hsv2.


Thanks.

[gracefromHHP]

there is no need for more testing for hsv from this encounter. you tested plenty of time afterwards.

grace