Herpes Select Test

[IndianaPacer31]

Hi, I am a 19 year old male.  Previously, I had had one sexual relationship where I had protected sex with a fellow-virgin (so, presumably STD free).  The last time was a little over 4 months ago.  However, about 9.5 weeks ago I made the mistake of having brief unprotected sex with one of my female friends.  I had no reason to think she had any STD, but was still worried and so just got tested.  everything came back negative except my Igg (through Lab Corp) test for HSV-2, which came back at positive at a value of 1.15 (I did not get tested for HSV-1, so I do not know my stauts fo that, and have had mono which I guess could theoretically cross-react a little).   I immediately talked to her about it, but she had actually gotten an annual chekup with ther doctor about 6 weeks after we had sex, and had tested negative for everything including a blood test for herpes.  So, this was 6 weeks after we were together, and she said a few months after she had been with anyone else (I guess I believe that part),  and I have not had any genitel herpes symptoms - I have been checking daily.  

This one-time, brief encounter with a low-risk indiviudal who tested negative for herpes, and then the fact that I have not had any symptoms seems to indicate I do not have herpes.  But this 1.15 "positve" result is very worrying.  However, it seems that actually with research a result of 1.15 is more likely to be negative than positve?  espeically done at 9.5 weeks, since antibodies for the herpes select test are said to peek between 9 and 10 weeks usually?    Therefore, is it justified/make sense to forget about all this due to her negatve results and my lack of symptoms?  (plus it seems the positive result is really more like equivocal...)  or should I get more testing?  could her negative test be misleading?

thanks very much for everything you do here,

[maya111]

all docs have to take into consideration the last sex experience, past testing records even partners status, low risk,hsv 1,other diseases/vitamin difeciencies that can make low positives,normal cut off rates, etc...some docs are making incorrect diagnosis w/o even doing conformation testing or taking in the patients history etc...making all these testing problems and not letting people know the implications/problems if you are not negative(even have false negatives) or under 3.5/3.0 or truley positive over 5.0. even for that matter firstly warning poeple the the cut off 1.0 the cdc determined isnt the same for everyone and the test shouldnt be used if you have a low risk encounter. its a lot they dont tell you in order to get a accurate diagnosis! other than get poked/tested and you get your accurate results lol

[gracefromHHP]

Yes repeat testing is expensive so it's entirely up to you. You had a low risk encounter and if we assume that your last partner really did get properly tested for herpes and was negative then it's almost certainly a false positive.  It's whatever you are comfortable with.

grace

[IndianaPacer31]

thanks, that is good info.  I was actually just planning on dropping this, because from what I read herpes select tests are very accurate when they are negative, correct?    So since one of my partners was a virgin and the other had a negative blood test for herpes after we were together, doesn't that make it theoretically impossible for me to have gotten herpes?  Meaning my 1.15 is just one of these apparentally relatively common low positives that are really negative?    

So i would advise you to talk to your former partners to sort this out - these kind of test results are best sorted out iin context of a patient history, and by talking to my partner I was able to see that there is not a realistic possiblity of me having got herpes... unless I guess she never seroconverted?  or did it really late?  

anyways good luck, and try that suggestion because that really reassured me.  I guess it would not be a bad idea for me to get confirmatory teseting, but it is expensive...

[maya111]

not only all those problems but heres a blog on bad batches of hsv test through lab corp i hope that is not who did your lab work lol

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/671784

[maya111]

it might be a false positive which happens a lot(along w other problems feel free to read in my blogs lol). you remind me of myself 5 months ago and i still dont know my status(never had a std history or symptoms). i want to know so im going to get a western blot to confirm my status probally at the end of dec./jan.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/714052      ; latest etc...

[IndianaPacer31]

sorry to post again without getting a response, but I just talked to my dad, and he has a collegaue who is an infectious disease doctor that he trusts.  This doctor said that he would not define a result of 1.15 without symptoms/outbreak as positive.   It is equivicol and can be interpretted in the context of the patient.  therefore, in my case since I just had one-low risk encounter and the girl actually tested negative for herpes, he said just to drop the matter  since I did not even really need herpes testing in the first place, and it is extremely unlikely I got it.  So this doctor said to forget about this low positive results for these reasons, which makes sense to me.  

However, you are also obviously very experienced in this matter, and would you agree with this or recommend more testing?

Thank you very much  

[IndianaPacer31]

OK thanks for the quick repsonse,

1) If when I get tested again later, the result is still in this low positive range, say below 1.5 what does this imply?  that for some reason I just biologically have some reaction with herpes antibodies even though I do not have the virus since it has not gotten to a truly positive value?  or will then I need further testing with different tests?

20 also, if I do turn out to be positive, does this mean my partner's negative test could have been wrong/maybe she just did not seroconvert? or is taking an expectionally long time to seroconvert?

thanks very much, and I guess I should refran from sexual activity until those further tests?  I still feel as though I dont have herpes because I have been very careful checking for hepres symptoms and my partner did test negative...

thanks again,

[gracefromHHP]

It's most likely a false positive being that low but wait and repeat it 4 months after the encounter just to be sure.

grace