Possible to have a false positive lesion swab if all partners are negative?

[coulditreallybe]

Hi, I was recentely diagnosed as positve for HSV Type 2. It's still a shock, but I am slowly dealing with it. My question is if it is possible to have a false positive from a lesion swab? The only reason I am asking is I just don't understand how it is possible. I understand that the positive lesion test is the gold standard of all the tests, and that it is highly unlikely for it to be false. However, (not to get to TMI) I was in a long term relationship with my ex boyfriend and we both would get tested very frequently (since I am abnormally scared of catching things) and always came back clear of anything. I would get the PCR swab test done at my annual check up (well for 3 years it was every 6 months since I had a cervical cancer scare) and always came back negative for herpes. I had a blood test done also (not sure which one) and also came back negative. My ex and I broke up a couple of months ago and I slept with two men. One was someone I did not know that well (unprotected- so stupid!) and the other was a long time friend. Neither have had symptoms before and both have tested negative. I have a history of MRSA staph infection and I recently had two procedures performed for my stomach ulcer. The reason why I went to the doctor in the first place is b/c I had really rough sex  and was extremely sore and felt like i had been rubbed raw and went to get it tested out. I've never had anything wrong down there before  - so I assume that if I got HSV2 it came from one of the two - but they are both negative? My symptoms were not severe - not painful - just discomforting. My doctor put me on Valtrex for 3 days twice a day and gave me a prescription for a bacteria that starts with a G(sorry can't remember!) which I haven't started yet, but I am not sure the Valtrex made much of a difference, since when I saw her my lesions were mainly cleared up. So I can't tell if it was from the meds or just natural as to the healing of them. I am planning on getting my blood test done with my primary OB/GYN in about 3 weeks. Could it possible that for some reason I tested falsly positive? Could there have been other factors? What happens if my blood test is negative? What should I believe?

[gracefromHHP]

your yearly pcr swabs for herpes were useless and wasted your time. you need active symptoms or active shedding of the virus for them to be of use.  The odds of that being present when you are seen are small.  Since you don't know what blood tests you had done, no way to know if they were useful or not.

your partner's blood tests would've had to have been igg and been done at least 3 months after the last time they had had sex with anyone prior to you.


You might never figure out the when or from whom part of all of this. what is important is knowing that you have hsv2 and whatever the status of your current partner is.  That way the two of you can make educated decisions about what precautions to take.  

The odds of a false positive lesion culture are very low. It's typically office mix up when it does occur.  There are some people who don't test + on the blood tests and only lesion cultures so should you get a recurrence of symptoms, be seen within 48 hours for a repeat lesion culture for peace of mind if you need it.  retesting in december is too early. save your money and repeat the blood test after the holidays are over.

grace

[coulditreallybe]

Hi,

Thanks for replying back to me. I didn't really have any other symptoms besides soreness - I had been sick with a cold before, so I am not sure if my symptoms were related to this or to the fact that I was sick before. I had a sore, but it was mostly healed over - my doctor swabbed that. It was on the labia minora. But other than that - I didn't really have anything else. I've seen two of the men's results, the third one is a little annoyed with me to say the least.  Yeah, I think I will. My doctor didn't start me on suppressive therapy - she just gave me a running script to fill whenever I feel like I am getting something - but sometimes I think my psychosomaticness (if this is a word) takes over and I give myself the symptoms, since all I've been doing is researching about HSV2. I am definitely retesting again - in Dec before I leave to go out of country for holidays - it will have been almost 2 months then. I guess I should retest again when I return. The Dec appointment was the first appointment I could get with my OB/GYN.

Thanks for responding to me - I appreciate it.

[Still_Worried_]

What were your symptoms besides soreness?  Where were you swabbed?  Did you have any blisters or sores that was swabbed or was it intact skin?

You are right; swabs tend to be more reliable than blood tests, but every test, including swabs, are prone to both false positives & false negatives.

When you say all 3 of these men tested negative, did you SEE these results?  I would ask to see them, if possible.  It could take months to test positive via IgG blood test so it's possible that one of your partners was newly infected but not showing positive yet.

The best thing to do right now is stay off Valtrex & retest in 3 months via IgG blood test.  If you do present with any symptoms, see your provider within 24-48 hours to have them swabbed again.  Since your last blood test was negative, this is most likely a new infection, if you do indeed have it.