Testing

[concerned495]

I recently had a encounter which involved a lot of kissing,  very brief oral sex (concerned, go figure) and then protected sex. It has been 10 days since this encounter. The other person showed no symptoms of either oral or genital herpes. I have shown no symptoms myself but have been worried enough to be tested for $85 at a lab that was able to keep everything confidential- I took the test which I do not know if it was a recent exposure test or the other test, none the less I took the test at 2pm yesterday and between 2-3pm today they called and said that I was positive for both Herpes 1 & 2.

Is it possible to have accurate results back so soon?
Is it possible that a accurate test can be so cheap?
Is it possible to tell me that I have both types if it was a recent exposure test?
Finally I am looking to set up another test from another lab - Is a recent exposure test worth it?

[gracefromHHP]

I deleted your other post since it was the same question as this one but this one is more detailed.  It's easiest for us if you keep it to one thread and just keep asking your questions in the same thread :)

I wouldn't set up any other testing at this point.

Can you post the numeric values of your test you had done - ie hsv1 igg 4. 5 and hsv2 igg 3. 4 or whatever they are?  I can't really answer your questions until I know that info.

Yes indeed you can get results that fast. It only takes 4 hours to run the blood test in the lab.  If indeed you are really +igg for hsv1 and hsv2 then it's not a new infection for you but just a prior infection you had no idea you had evidently which is a far more common scenerio than most folks realize.

grace

[concerned495]

I have not been able to get the tet results yet. I hopefully will get them soon. One thing I wanted to add, dont know that it matter but the oral sex was from her to me and none from me to her. The reason I am confused is because when I asked if the results were 100% they told me it was done at a legitimate lab, then I called another place and they told me that it is not possible to tell if it is 1 & 2 if it was a recent exposure test. I am so confused.

[gracefromHHP]

If you had an igg test done at this lab and you are + , once I know the results I can help you figure out if you need additional testing done or not.  If you had the igm test done you wasted your time and money.  Call the place you had the testing done tomorrow and ask them to read you your numeric results, write them down and post them here.

grace

[concerned495]

That is what I am planning on doing after talking to the other lab today. My next question would be to wonder why it would be a waste of money? If I do have herpes it is my hope that I have had it for quite sometime rather than just recently. Is the recent exposure test not accurate? At all?

[concerned495]

Is $85 a normal price for a test? When I asked if it was 100% they replied 'It as done at a legitimate lab' - is that normal?

[gracefromHHP]

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/248394 ; excellent post by Dr handsfield as to why the igm herpes test ( the so called recent infection test ) is not worthwhile.

The price of getting tested for herpes varies from lab to lab.  Nothing is 100% if you are asking if it's 100% accurate.

Why would getting retested now be a waste of money? Because first let's sort out the testing you had done. No reason to spend a couple of hundred dollars on testing before you even fully understand the testing you had already.  If you  actually had hsv1 and hsv2 type specific igg testing done and you really are + then there's no reason to even retest again. If you only had the igm done and you want to see if you contracted herpes from this recent encounter you'll need to wait a few months more before any testing you have done is considered accurate.  

grace

[concerned495]

OK so I am back and I called the place I went to, they said that a Igg test was done and that there are no numbers only positive and negative, they say I am postive, but yesterday they said I am positive for 1 & 2. Is it at all possible if the herpes was transmitted only 10 days before the test that I would come up positive on an Igg test? I will look at the site you sent, thank you very much... I am just asking because the other place I have talked to has told me that a Igm test will tell if it was recent and they have also stated that if I only contracted the virus 10 days prior to the test that it would not show up on a Igg test. It is so hard to sort through this... Thank You for the info and look forward to hearing back from you.

[gracefromHHP]

Some labs do not report back with numeric values.  That would be fine except for it's not helpful for sorting out false positives. My advice at this point is to wait 3 months and then get another type specific herpes igg blood test drawn. should you have any symptoms befor ethen - see your provider for a lesion culture and typing.  I wouldn't bother retesting at this point to be honest.  If you can find someplace that does the biokit hsv2 igg that would be the fastest results to confirm your hsv2 status when you repeat your testing.

grace

[concerned495]

so is it even possible to ever tell the date you contracted the virus? is it possible to have herpes for years without passing it to your partner? last but not least - can a IgG test test positive for only having the virus for 10 days???

[concerned495]

I am researching and finding nothing. Can an IgG test test positive if you had only had the virus for 10 days?

[gracefromHHP]

The earliest ever documented in really good research studies was 9 days however testing + by 14-21 days isn't unusual.

I know it's easy for me to say there's nothing you can do at this point but wait a few more months and repeat your test but really - it's not worth worrying about or obsessing about until you can do so.  You can't change anything if indeed you are hsv2+ and since you aren't having obvious symptoms at this point there's no need to treat.

Most discordant couples ( one partner has hsv2 and the other doesn't ) go a long, long time if not a lifetime together without transmitting the virus.  It's really not as easy to transmit as it seems and is just as much about badluck as anything.

grace

[gracefromHHP]

please keep all  your questions in this thread. It gets too confusing when you are asking questions in multiple threads. thanks!

grace