I have a question about the blood test.

I recently been involved with a diabetic girl that just discovered that she has type one hsv in the genitals. Before she found that out, we been having  oral and unprotected sex for about 8 days. I was freaking out and thought I have it too cause of the itching in my genital area. I went to get test just about three weeks ago and got the test back at the end of the third week so, I have a couple of question to ask about type one hsv.

1.) I took a blood test to see if I have type one or/and type two of hsv. I was glad that it was negative for type 2. However, I was concern that I was positive for type one. I have antibodies for type one in my body. I never had any symptoms like cold sores that I could remember and I never gave any one in my past any herpes from my mouth so the doctor said that I just been expose to the virus and that doesn't mean I have it. If you never had the first stage of outbreak than you might not have it. Is that true?

2.) If my girlfriend has type one down below and we had unprotected sex, what type will I get? Would it be type one of two?

3.) If I have type one antibodies in my blood am I immune to both types of the virus?

Thank you!

[petal130]

1) Your doctor is wrong. You either have herpes or you don't. It can lay dormant and you may never have symptoms, but you still have the virus.

2) How does she know it's genital HSV1? Only a swab/culture of symptoms can confirm that. Most people have oral HSV1, so if it was indicated by a blood test only, it may very well be oral.

3) No. A person can get both HSV1 and HSV2. If your girlfriend has genital HSV1, then it transmits as such. HSV1 does not "change" into HSV2 - they are two different HSV viruses. Obviously if you already have it orally, you can't get it again.

How were you tested? What were the numeric results if it was an IgG blood test (as it should have been)?

[onex]

My girlfriend went to the ER and they did a swab on her and it was confirm she had type one. I have type one also but I did a IgG blood test. My doctor explain that you can be expose to the virus and have antibodies in your blood and it seem like you dont have it if you never had a outbreak. Is it possible that I have type one genital herpes and not oral? I also thought if you have type one that you can have sex with someone else and that person would be infected with type two so is that not true? You also said that if I have type one orally I wont get it again, right? What about hsv type one in the genitals? Sorry if my grammar is off, I m just trying to get all y my questions answered.

[petal130]

O.K. so your GF has oral HSV1. You have HSV1 but you don't know if it's genital or oral - only symptoms will tell you.

With you both having HSV1 though, it provides significant protection from either of you getting it at the "opposite" end, so to speak. Your body knows it has it already, so when exposed to an area where it wasn't originally transmitted, it's sort of like your body saying "hey I know you!" Still, there would be a risk, albeit small.

[onex]

Im sorry, I know it is confusing but my girlfriend has genital herpes that she got from someone that gave her oral sex. The ER doctors told her she got genital herpes from type one not type two. She doesn't have type one in the mouth just on her genitals its seem. I took a blood test after she found out about her genital herpes and it showed that I have type one antibodies in my systems. From today it has been 36 days since I had full contact with my girlfriend meaning unprotected sex. I have no sign of the infection. I hope that this might clear it up. My questions are....

1.) If she has type one genital herpes can she have sex with someone who is not infected and give that person type 2 genital herpes?

2.) From the blood test that I took that confirm that I am positive with type one herpes, how can you tell if it is genital or oral herpes from the test?

3.) If my girlfriend has type one genital herpes and If I do have type one oral herpes, am I protected from her genital type one herpes seeing that I have antibodies for type one in my blood?  

[petal130]

HSV1 and HSV2 are completely different herpes simplex viruses. For all you know, you could have given her genital HSV1 from your oral HSV1 via oral sex. That is how I now have genital HSV1 - my partner has had oral HSV1 since his teens.

Or she could have had it from a prior relationship and not known. The caveat there is, if she had a positive culture and at the same time a negative blood test, then that would show a newly acquired infection. It can take up to 4 months for one's body to develop antibodies after becoming infected.

You can have oral HSV1 or genital HSV1.... You can have genital HSV2 or much less commonly oral HSV2.

One type does not "change" to the other.

As I said, your HSV1 could be either oral or genital. Without symptoms, you have absolutely no way of knowing.

I answered your last question in my prior post.

Read the Herpes Handbook here:

http://www.westoverheights.com/genital_herpes/handbook/view_the_chapters.html