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Strange test results and doctor refuses to answer questions?
Okay, so here is the story.....
I have had 3 sexual partners, two of them were virgins, and I was even their first kiss.. My current girlfriend who I have been seeing ( and having sex with) for the past 6 months has had two partners before me, who claim they were tested and never had any STD's ( who knows), and on top of that, she has had sex with each of them maybe a total of a combined ten times.
So, about a week and a half ago, my girlfriend had a cold sore on her lip and also a soar throat ( we assumed she has HSV 1, which isn't a big deal, as lots of people have it). The doctor did a blood test. He used a IgG for HSV 1, and used a IgM blood test for HSV 2. She test positive for both HSv 1 and 2. I am confused on why he didn't use IgG for both test, as I have read everywhere and also heard from numerous doctors that IgM is generally useless for these types of test. Not to mention, she had a virus, we saw the cold soars, and IgM cannot distinguish between type 1 and 2. If she had type 1, then wouldn't she more than likely also test positive for type 2 if she came in with type one? I think the index value for type one was 2.4, but when we asked the index value for type 2 with the IgM test, he said " its just...its just positve. Im not awersing any more of these questions, here is a number to call." He literally refused to talk to us, and said he was busy. Also, he did a culture swab, and she tested negative for that, she also had a weird cut on her finger, they tested that, also negative.
My question,
Why would he decide to use IgG for type one, but a different test, IgM for type 2?
What are the chances her results were a false positve? Why was the doctor so uncomfortable answering a few questions?
How long should she wait to take a IgG specific type test ( she had the cold soars on her lip 10 days ago or so)
Neither of us have had any out breaks ( i know that is common), and our sexual histories are small ( i understand it only takes on time, but still.)
I got a complete STD scan yesterday with an IgG test for hvs 1 and 2, we are waiting on our results.
Thanks so much for the feed back!
I have had 3 sexual partners, two of them were virgins, and I was even their first kiss.. My current girlfriend who I have been seeing ( and having sex with) for the past 6 months has had two partners before me, who claim they were tested and never had any STD's ( who knows), and on top of that, she has had sex with each of them maybe a total of a combined ten times.
So, about a week and a half ago, my girlfriend had a cold sore on her lip and also a soar throat ( we assumed she has HSV 1, which isn't a big deal, as lots of people have it). The doctor did a blood test. He used a IgG for HSV 1, and used a IgM blood test for HSV 2. She test positive for both HSv 1 and 2. I am confused on why he didn't use IgG for both test, as I have read everywhere and also heard from numerous doctors that IgM is generally useless for these types of test. Not to mention, she had a virus, we saw the cold soars, and IgM cannot distinguish between type 1 and 2. If she had type 1, then wouldn't she more than likely also test positive for type 2 if she came in with type one? I think the index value for type one was 2.4, but when we asked the index value for type 2 with the IgM test, he said " its just...its just positve. Im not awersing any more of these questions, here is a number to call." He literally refused to talk to us, and said he was busy. Also, he did a culture swab, and she tested negative for that, she also had a weird cut on her finger, they tested that, also negative.
My question,
Why would he decide to use IgG for type one, but a different test, IgM for type 2?
What are the chances her results were a false positve? Why was the doctor so uncomfortable answering a few questions?
How long should she wait to take a IgG specific type test ( she had the cold soars on her lip 10 days ago or so)
Neither of us have had any out breaks ( i know that is common), and our sexual histories are small ( i understand it only takes on time, but still.)
I got a complete STD scan yesterday with an IgG test for hvs 1 and 2, we are waiting on our results.
Thanks so much for the feed back!
But even those government regulations test sex workers for herpes in fact standard std screening dont test for it if you dont ask for it. Testing sex workers would be pointless it would like testing for hpv someone who has sec with hunders of people will have hpv and herpes if they dont get it now they will get it later on so I dont think anyone should even assume the csw wont have herpes, the odds of tranmission is stil extremeley low though. As for the "higher en" escort they say maybe they are at less risk for viral stds but still higher than the general population.
yeah...this person had a private hospital and did her own testing. She wasn't regulatorily tested by any agency or government. Not a Holland worker or part of a regulated industry as such...she was higher end.
She went on her own to be tested under the care of a doctor and was adamant about avoiding risk- first time before we were together she insisted I get tested and I was clean for everything (even HSV1). She is herself quite devastated to learn of her 4.7/2.9 and has effectively resigned herself to her fate and will no longer engage in the business.
She went on her own to be tested under the care of a doctor and was adamant about avoiding risk- first time before we were together she insisted I get tested and I was clean for everything (even HSV1). She is herself quite devastated to learn of her 4.7/2.9 and has effectively resigned herself to her fate and will no longer engage in the business.
They dont test for herpes beacuse it is inevitable for sex workers and isnt a health threat or even a serious "disease". No more serious than chronic acne. They do testing for health care of their own but I ynderstand your concern I have been in a similar situation myself.
Sorry about your situation, its a shame these doctors have no clue what they are doing in that sense!! I wish you the best of luck.
Okay, so what you are saying the test is based off of past exposure, and we have been dating for about 6 months, so if we take an IgG test now, and it comes back negative we are more than certain she does not have hsv 2? As i said, my parents never even kissed anyone before me, so if she has it, it is not recent. I should be getting my test results back this week.
Okay, so what you are saying the test is based off of past exposure, and we have been dating for about 6 months, so if we take an IgG test now, and it comes back negative we are more than certain she does not have hsv 2? As i said, my parents never even kissed anyone before me, so if she has it, it is not recent. I should be getting my test results back this week.
the reason they did these two different tests is because doctors are ignorant.
Riddle me this- my exposure was from a sex worker who i didn't know was in the sex business. She was tested, according to her, every month under the supervision of a doctor who knew she was in the business. But those tests I came to discover, never included HSV1 and HSV2, only Hep and HIV and the other fatal STDs.
So what the hell was this doctor thinking? Answer: doctors are fkin stupid most of the time. Now I'm sitting on a 1.14/1.72 equivocal positive, she is 4.7/2.9 and I'm staring down a lifetime infection as a result of the medical profession's collective ignorance. Yeah, she always used condoms, disinfected the people, took showers, never kissed any, yadda yadda. Anyone with an ounce of knowledge should know that HSV is still transmissible no matter HOW careful you are.
3 months post-exposure and you can be pretty sure. Get IgG tests and a Biokit. I go for Biokit on Wednesday and I am praying for a one dot result. I'm not gonna tell you what your odds are because there's no way to know.
Oh and never go back to that doctor. Get the IgG after a few weeks and you can start to know where you're at. For her, she can go ASAP.
Riddle me this- my exposure was from a sex worker who i didn't know was in the sex business. She was tested, according to her, every month under the supervision of a doctor who knew she was in the business. But those tests I came to discover, never included HSV1 and HSV2, only Hep and HIV and the other fatal STDs.
So what the hell was this doctor thinking? Answer: doctors are fkin stupid most of the time. Now I'm sitting on a 1.14/1.72 equivocal positive, she is 4.7/2.9 and I'm staring down a lifetime infection as a result of the medical profession's collective ignorance. Yeah, she always used condoms, disinfected the people, took showers, never kissed any, yadda yadda. Anyone with an ounce of knowledge should know that HSV is still transmissible no matter HOW careful you are.
3 months post-exposure and you can be pretty sure. Get IgG tests and a Biokit. I go for Biokit on Wednesday and I am praying for a one dot result. I'm not gonna tell you what your odds are because there's no way to know.
Oh and never go back to that doctor. Get the IgG after a few weeks and you can start to know where you're at. For her, she can go ASAP.
Thanks a lot!
Last question.
The timeline of when we can be sure of the IgG antibodies. Do we wait from her last outbreak ( when she had the cold sores on her lip) or from when we think she was exposed ( Her last bf, which was 7 months ago). Like I said, I dated two people and i was their first kiss, its unlikely they have me hsv 2.
HSV IgM testing uses a different technology than IgG antibody, and the results don't include an index value, just a straight positive/negative result.
Thank you so much for the quick reply!
We went to the doctor not really for her cold sore, more because her throat was sore and she felt really under the weather. We wanted to get medicine for her, and the doctor decided to do some test because she didn't have strep or anything of that kind. He did the culture swab--she came up negative for that.
He suggested blood work.
My other question is--why was there an index value you for the IgG test for hsv1, but no index value for hsv2 igM test? He just said " no index just positive".
Thanks again.
We went to the doctor not really for her cold sore, more because her throat was sore and she felt really under the weather. We wanted to get medicine for her, and the doctor decided to do some test because she didn't have strep or anything of that kind. He did the culture swab--she came up negative for that.
He suggested blood work.
My other question is--why was there an index value you for the IgG test for hsv1, but no index value for hsv2 igM test? He just said " no index just positive".
Thanks again.
"Why would he decide to use IgG for type one, but a different test, IgM for type 2?"
No big mystery. Lots of docs don't really understand HSV infections and diagnosis of them. Seems like you found a very typical doctor in this regard. You are correct that HSV IgM testing is useless and the results often meaningless.
"How long should she wait to take a IgG specific type test...?" Do it now. If negative for either virus type, repeat in a few weeks to see if it becomes positive.
"What are the chances her results were a false positve?" A very good chance for HSV2.
"Why was the doctor so uncomfortable answering a few questions?" Who knows? Anything I could say would be speculative.
It sounds like your partner has oral HSV1. Despite the positive IgM test, I think it is unlikely either of you has HSV2. Frankly, I'm not certain why you and your partner saw a doctor at all when she got her cold sore. But at this point, maybe the best approach is to find another doctor who better understands HSV infections and their diagnosis. Consider finding an infectious diseases specialist.
Good luck!
No big mystery. Lots of docs don't really understand HSV infections and diagnosis of them. Seems like you found a very typical doctor in this regard. You are correct that HSV IgM testing is useless and the results often meaningless.
"How long should she wait to take a IgG specific type test...?" Do it now. If negative for either virus type, repeat in a few weeks to see if it becomes positive.
"What are the chances her results were a false positve?" A very good chance for HSV2.
"Why was the doctor so uncomfortable answering a few questions?" Who knows? Anything I could say would be speculative.
It sounds like your partner has oral HSV1. Despite the positive IgM test, I think it is unlikely either of you has HSV2. Frankly, I'm not certain why you and your partner saw a doctor at all when she got her cold sore. But at this point, maybe the best approach is to find another doctor who better understands HSV infections and their diagnosis. Consider finding an infectious diseases specialist.
Good luck!
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Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
