Thank you , Grace.
Everything is clear now.
Our next step will be WB and I'll post here when we happen to receive the results from U of Washington.
Thanks again , your answers were very helpful!
I am positive for HSV1 and was negative for HSV2.
My bf was only checked for HSV2, when he had STD testing. I didn't see any outbreaks on his genital area but he has outbreaks on his lips like 6 times a year. So I guess he has HSV1 as well.
I am wondering if HSV2 symptoms can be very mild that I could never notice them? I've been reading a lot now and it seems HSV2 causes lots of outbreaks , even more than HSV1. But how come we never noticed them?. I asked my bf if he had any weird feelings in his genital area and he couldn't remember. But he can definitely tell before he has one on his mouth: numming , tingling feeling inside his lip. That's how he is describing it.
I wish I had contracted this annoying herpes before I got pregnant. I think I'll be more calm now. Because it is just crazy, I am looking for symptoms in my genital area every time I take shower or go to the bathroom. I've noticed a little red bump on my butt. It doesn't really hurt, when I don't touch it. It 's not filled with liquid . So maybe it is just a pimple. But I am very afraid that even if I contract herpes , I can miss it and it will go unnoticed and i won't have symptoms. And the baby will be hurt.
If it's possible to contract HSV2 for the first time and never develop initial outbreak with real blisters , pain and etc?
Thank you , Grace and catinbarefeet for the clarification!
I am trying to stay positive and protect my baby.
But I am a bit confused about getting WB now. Does igg value 3.29 seems to be pretty high (even being low positive) for having HSV2? Oouch, I had so many hopes that it could be false positive. But now one of you is telling to retest with the WB and the other one that I can trust IGG.
Anyway we will test WB , but it will happen not soon . Should we double check my bf's IGG level again? Because he had this test done around 3 years ago. Is there a possibility that the igg numbers can go up or down with the time?
the virus sheds from the anal and genital area, not the entire boxer short area. If you have an active lesion in the boxer short area, then indeed it is also shedding from there but in general, the skin on the non-genital /anal area in the boxer short area is too thick for the virus to penetrate to the skin's surface to shed in between obvious lesions to be an issue.
hope that clarifies it for you and catinbarefeet both :)
please start your own post and we'll gladly take the time to answer your questions - thanks!
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grace
Hi Beauty - yes, many women have healthy babies even with HSV. You and your husband need to get tested with an IgG type-specific blood test to make sure of what you each have. If only one of you has HSV-2, that person should protect the other from getting it, by getting on a daily dose of antiviral medication, using condoms every time you have sex, and not having sex when symptoms are present.
I hope this is clear and somewhat helpful!
Hi Olliesa - your fears are understandable, but it's good that you're taking steps to learn more about the virus. If you had cold sores as a kid, by the way, you have herpes - probably HSV-1, which gives you about 40% protection against HSV-2.
I have to disagree with grace a bit here: anywhere that the virus can be present, including the boxer short area, is a place that HSV can be contracted from. This is difficult, however, because the receiving partner has to have a portal in the skin (cut, wound, tear). This is partly why the statistics exist that condoms only officially protect us 30% of the time.
The Western Blot is considered the "gold standard" because it's been around the longest, and was the first of the blood tests to be deemed reliable. The IgG type-specific blood tests are known to be the most accurate, however, by most modern herpes experts. So you can probably trust your tests.
It's possible to spread herpes even when there are no symptoms present, yes. This phenomenon is called "asymptomatic shedding." It means we could be contagious at any moment and not know it.
However, I don't mean to scare you - from what you describe, I doubt you contracted HSV-2 from your guy. But if you want to be sure, in about 4 months, get tested with another IgG test (by the way, the IgM is pretty useless - don't bother with that). Any sooner could result in a false negative.
Two things you can do right away: ask your boyfriend to get on suppressive therapy immediately (daily antiviral medication), and yes, during the last four months of your pregnancy, don't have sex. This is when the baby can be most susceptible to being impacted by a new HSV infection, because any antibodies that result from a new infection in you will not have had time to generate enough to pass on to your baby.
Also, tell your doctor your concerns, and ask him/her to monitor you for symptoms of HSV especially when you go into labor. He/she should know what to do.
Please don't worry too much. Lots of HSV+ women have healthy babies. Since you're very aware and monitoring yourself, I'm confident you will too.
i am havng herper virus it came postive my husband has itching near penis can we wil be pregant or not
you need a provider to order it for you. you can order the WB kit from the U of washington but you still have to have your provider order it to be drawn and sent off for you from your local lab.
Thanks again. I'll try not to think, but it's tough. I 'm so worried about baby now, especially when the baby is growing every day and I'm starting physically feeling my pregnancy.
I am trying to find out if there is a way to order WB test through lab, without going to the provider? If you know anything about it, I'll appreciate it a lot.
My bf is changing his job and health insurance. So I am not sure how long will it take him to get to the PCP. I think if it's possible to order the test by himself , it will be faster to get the results. Anyway it looks like most health insurance companies don't cover WB. But I am not sure.
really no reason to think you contracted hsv2 when you last had sex dear.
the virus sheds from the anal and genital area, not the entire boxer short area. a condom helps but it isn't 100%. combined together, all the precautions I mention really work well to lower your risk. Seems odd to use a condom during pregnancy but it is helpful :)
Thanks a lot for your quick reply!
We are in US.
I'll try to retest my bf by Western Blot .
Are there any other test for me to check if I contracted HSV2 when having sex a few days ago? Should I wait weeks or months and then test IGG again, if i don't get visible symptoms in my genital area?
I've been reading that condom doesn't really protect from HSV2. I couldn't find more specific info though .I do understand why It doesn't protect during outbreak because blisters could be not only on penis but on the area around. But what if there is no visible outbreak ? Is the virus shedding from the entire "boxers" area ?
your bf's igg is a low positive so at this point, he needs to confirm if he indeed has hsv2 or not. His provider can order a herpes WB blood test for this if you are in the US. Knowing his status for sure at this point is a priority.
if indeed he does have hsv2, he should start on daily suppressive therapy to reduce your risk of contracting hsv2 since you are pregnant. If he's on suppressive therapy, you use condoms and avoid sex anytime he has anything going on - you are 97-98% likely not to contract hsv2 from him. no reason to avoid sex with him until your last trimester if you are taking those precautions.
no, herpes igm testing isn't a good idea. The igm herpes test is a greatly flawed test and the CDC recommends it not be drawn. it has a very high false positive rate and there's no reason to potentially upset yourself needlessly over this!!
grace
Just wanted to add that I checked my bf 's numerical value for HSV2 igg 3.29
no more testing for you at this point unless you develop obvious genital symptoms. we do recommend repeating your herpes igg at the very start of the 3rd trimester though to err on the side of caution.
I'm sorry if you are receiving conflicting answers, I can speak for my own expertise and it's backed by Terri Warren, our herpes expert on medhelp as well as the std experts, dr hook and dr handsfield.