Test results

[Need2KnowPlease]

My long-term partner and I were broken up for several months this summer and when we reconciled, he'd admitted to sleeping with 2 people during our time apart (I had been with one other partner as well) and so we agreed that we would both get retested before going back to having unprotected sex (birth control was not an issue and we'd been tested before going there the first time).  Originally, I'd been tested for everything but HSV because the clinic I went to doesn't offer the test, and was negative for everything.  His bloodwork showed him as positive for HSV.  Of course, I went and was tested for it immediately, but my results were negative and I told him he should get tested again.  Long story short, we got his results recently and he tested at a 1.30, which was positive on an IgM (which was what the lab suggested since quote: "An IgG might just tell you that you had cold sores as a kid").  

Upon looking up some information today, it seems that maybe he was retested too early?  Some of the information I've read here has said that 1.30 is close to bordeline and tests may show negative after 4-5 months, is this correct or am I influencing my interpretations with wishful thinking?  

And also, is there a way to know how old an infection is by the level of antibodies?  Is this potentially something he had before we'd split up and I was "lucky" enough to not get before?  Or is a low level the sign of a new infection?  He said the only potential break out he's ever had was while we were still together and it was one pimple-like bump on the underside shaft of his penis and it was gone in 24-36 hours.  Since then, he had a series of massive anxiety attacks and I would have thought that the stress would have caused another break-out.

I'm mostly worried for the emotional damage to him at this point, I know that I'll be spending my life with him whether he's positive or not.  If it is recommended that he be tested gain in several months (instead of in 3 weeks), I'm afraid of how he'll take a third positive or if he'd believe a new negative result regardless.  What do you recommend?

He's planning on going onto suppressive therapy soon, we're using condoms, but I'd also like to know more about transmission repression.  Some websites I've read are doom and gloom to the extreme (one said that any skin to skin contact would transmit the virus, even if he held his penis to urinate, then touched his stomach while re-fastening his pants before washing his hands) and other websites claim that the reason doctors don't test for HSV more frequently is because it's an expensive and unreasonable test that causes more emotional trauma than physical.  I've read about the HerpVac vaccine, but all information about it ends in 2008 claiming it would be on the market by now, and I also wonder if it would be something only marketed toward young women, like the HPV vaccination (I'm 31).

Any information is greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance.

[Need2KnowPlease]

We both had a combination IgG through LabCorp.  It was strangely difficult to find anyone who will do a herpes blood test out here (without insurance, in my case, I assume he'll be able to get it from his primary doctor) and so I had it done through justgettested.com which only orders the test in a combo.

Thank you for the information, I'll be sure to pass it on to him, and hopefully upon retesting he comes back with a lower result.

[gracefromHHP]

the herpes igm test is a flawed test and we never recommend its use. he needs to get a type specific herpes igg blood test done 3 months after the last time he had sex.  A + herpes igm is pretty much meaningless and was a waste of his time and money.  

did you get igm or igg testing done?

they have no released any of the info from the phase 3 trials of the herpevac vaccine trials yet and I don't believe they've went for fda approval of it yet either.

grace