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What is "Unclear Results"?!
I have a man who I trust for sex and we have known each other for years. After he visited me for a sexy weekend we decided he should go in for an STD checkup. Not thinking much of it until a week later the doctor called him and told him that his HSV2 results were unclear. Neither of us understand what this could mean and the doctor told us to wait 2 MONTHS before he gets tested again! I am no saint and was seeing a boy for a few weeks before the sexy weekend with my friend and gave the boy oral sex but the relationship didnt last. And I know my friend slept with another girl a few weeks before visiting me and he told me they were safe but I now I dont know how safe. Either of us could be to blame here. Anyway I have been in knots since we found out and do not know what to do. And I honestly dont think i can make it two months worrying constantly. So what could this unclear result answer mean? I have done tons of research and since I havent had any symptoms and he hasn't either I just dont know what to make of this. I do not know if his "rating" on the test was <.09 but I assume it was in that range to be unclear.
I guess what I want to know is honestly how much I should worry. When people get results like this how often do they have HSV2? And I know I will wait 6 weeks before I go in because I heard that is the earliest time for results but if my results are unclear as well, what should I do?
Im sorry for rambling I feel like damaged goods. I am stressed beyond belief and I wish there was someone who could talk to me about this. Please help if you can. Thank you.
I guess what I want to know is honestly how much I should worry. When people get results like this how often do they have HSV2? And I know I will wait 6 weeks before I go in because I heard that is the earliest time for results but if my results are unclear as well, what should I do?
Im sorry for rambling I feel like damaged goods. I am stressed beyond belief and I wish there was someone who could talk to me about this. Please help if you can. Thank you.
Best Answer
No his results were technically negative but the doc told him it was close to equivical. So that's where the fear came from. But yea so I will take this as mostly good news, :) and I will go back after the right time :) thanks for the link too
The IGM test is a waste of your money. The test doesn't always show recent exposure it does cross react with different things and can be high because of your HSV-1. Your doctor should read the 2010 CDC guidelines for HSV testing.
Okay the testing you had is somewhat good news. You have had 4 weeks since this testing for your partner that tested positive for HSV-2 right?
You know from this point back to any encounter 3+ months you so far are negative. Now the encounter that is less than 3 months is still the question at this point. A negative at this point is a good sign... You need to be re-tested after 12 weeks has passed since the point of your last encounter.
Don't put much into your IgM testing though. It has a lot of flaws for HSV. You might find this thread interesting from our STD Expert Dr. HHH (yes he is really a doctor).
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Confusiion-over-other-IgM-Herpes-posts/show/248394
Okay the testing you had is somewhat good news. You have had 4 weeks since this testing for your partner that tested positive for HSV-2 right?
You know from this point back to any encounter 3+ months you so far are negative. Now the encounter that is less than 3 months is still the question at this point. A negative at this point is a good sign... You need to be re-tested after 12 weeks has passed since the point of your last encounter.
Don't put much into your IgM testing though. It has a lot of flaws for HSV. You might find this thread interesting from our STD Expert Dr. HHH (yes he is really a doctor).
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Confusiion-over-other-IgM-Herpes-posts/show/248394
Ok,
so i got the results back from my doctor today, hsv1 pos 2.16 on igg and hsv2 neg (no exact # because it was less than .9) BUT igm results were positive with a titer of 1:40. I believe this means i have recently been exposed to either hsv1 or 2 because it cannot differentiate between either of them, but i knew i had hsv`1, so this probably means i have encountered hsv2 and it is growing?? =/ not good news... the doctor said not to freak out because he wants me to come back and check in 6 weeks to see which direction the titer goes for the igm.. but that is all i know at this point. If anyone has anything to say please post a reply, i would love to hear what you think of this news, especially mistake guy or grace. Thanks
so i got the results back from my doctor today, hsv1 pos 2.16 on igg and hsv2 neg (no exact # because it was less than .9) BUT igm results were positive with a titer of 1:40. I believe this means i have recently been exposed to either hsv1 or 2 because it cannot differentiate between either of them, but i knew i had hsv`1, so this probably means i have encountered hsv2 and it is growing?? =/ not good news... the doctor said not to freak out because he wants me to come back and check in 6 weeks to see which direction the titer goes for the igm.. but that is all i know at this point. If anyone has anything to say please post a reply, i would love to hear what you think of this news, especially mistake guy or grace. Thanks
yes so the doctor said not to worry it was just an irritated hair follicle and an irritated skin tag. i have been trying not to worry and hung out with some friends for st patty's day yesterday which helped. i will get thru these next few weeks and go back in and get tested again but i am still waiting on bloodwork, though it doesnt seem like it will matter if it is too soon. i will let you all know
you have been such a great help mistakeguy and grace. i couldnt ask for more. your supportive words mean the world to me. thank you so much.
you have been such a great help mistakeguy and grace. i couldnt ask for more. your supportive words mean the world to me. thank you so much.
the more you look , the more you'll notice and the more you'll irritate things.
let us know how your appointment goes.
let us know how your appointment goes.
well screw everything because i think i found another one and this one looks more like a lesion... i cant believe this could be happening. i already made an appointment with the doctor and am going in tomorrow at 9 am.. and im freaking out.. i dont know what to do..
Ok, so no more talk of dirty or clean.
And regarding my testing, i went in and had bloodwork done and they told me i should know by the end of the week.
And i have a question for grace mostly, i know i have been staring at my vagina for the last few days hoping i see nothing, but yesterday i noticed something odd. It doesnt seem to be herpes by any standard form of how they appear but it is a small red area. it is right outside my opening and at the edge almost of where hair grows. wierdly enough this isnt freaking me out because it doesnt itch, burn, or hurt to the touch. I almost think it is an ingrown hair, but im not sure. If it isnt an ingrown hair and does not begin to reproduce like herpes should or would, what could it be? I have looked online at pictures of what it could be and it doesnt seem to be a cyst. Nor a rash because it is just in that spot. I do work out daily and got off of my period recently so am wearing pantyliners, could this just be an irritated area? its very small though.. I know you dont want pictures and im sorry for my graphic description but what is your take?
And regarding my testing, i went in and had bloodwork done and they told me i should know by the end of the week.
And i have a question for grace mostly, i know i have been staring at my vagina for the last few days hoping i see nothing, but yesterday i noticed something odd. It doesnt seem to be herpes by any standard form of how they appear but it is a small red area. it is right outside my opening and at the edge almost of where hair grows. wierdly enough this isnt freaking me out because it doesnt itch, burn, or hurt to the touch. I almost think it is an ingrown hair, but im not sure. If it isnt an ingrown hair and does not begin to reproduce like herpes should or would, what could it be? I have looked online at pictures of what it could be and it doesnt seem to be a cyst. Nor a rash because it is just in that spot. I do work out daily and got off of my period recently so am wearing pantyliners, could this just be an irritated area? its very small though.. I know you dont want pictures and im sorry for my graphic description but what is your take?
Generally speaking and as a piece of advice from one to another. Ask to see their results. Also let's change the terminalogy. Because someone may have an STD doesn't make them "dirty". The use of the word clean is flawed highly in the sense that you are clean because you shower/bath/whatever it is that girls do.
Regarding your testing. Knowing your status after your last partner is going to be helpful. At this point if appears you have gone 3 months without any encounters from your ex-boyfriend. I would say testing now will tell your status from that point if negative. Though you won't know much from this current partner until you have 3 months past him as well to find out if the virus was transmitted.
I hope we are getting things taken care of now.
Regarding your testing. Knowing your status after your last partner is going to be helpful. At this point if appears you have gone 3 months without any encounters from your ex-boyfriend. I would say testing now will tell your status from that point if negative. Though you won't know much from this current partner until you have 3 months past him as well to find out if the virus was transmitted.
I hope we are getting things taken care of now.
ok.. well i dont know how the information got mixed up.. Probably because the doctor was never straight with my friend and laid out the details of which tests he was getting and their results.. but now even i am a little confused.. and thouroughly frustrated..
BUT to talk about my previous partner, we had dated for a few weeks in early may and had discussed std testing and we both had said we had gotten tested and were clean. and then had sex at the end of may. when we had sex the condom fell off inside me and we got the plan b and took care of the whole pregnancy scare but i never thought twice about std's. After after a few more successful tries with a condom my school year was over and i went home and he went off in may to do work in a different town as me and i went to visit him once around late june..?, and i was on the pill because we had decided to be official so when i visited we didnt use condoms because the reason the condom fell of in the first place was that he was very well endowed. after the first visit i came home and got either a canker or cold sore.. either way i was worried so i got tested for hsv1 and 2. hsv1 positive hsv2 negative. When his job was over we were together for a few more months then split. I havent gotten an hsv test since but had done other std tests which were negative.
does that help?
BUT to talk about my previous partner, we had dated for a few weeks in early may and had discussed std testing and we both had said we had gotten tested and were clean. and then had sex at the end of may. when we had sex the condom fell off inside me and we got the plan b and took care of the whole pregnancy scare but i never thought twice about std's. After after a few more successful tries with a condom my school year was over and i went home and he went off in may to do work in a different town as me and i went to visit him once around late june..?, and i was on the pill because we had decided to be official so when i visited we didnt use condoms because the reason the condom fell of in the first place was that he was very well endowed. after the first visit i came home and got either a canker or cold sore.. either way i was worried so i got tested for hsv1 and 2. hsv1 positive hsv2 negative. When his job was over we were together for a few more months then split. I havent gotten an hsv test since but had done other std tests which were negative.
does that help?
had you waited 3 months after you had last had sex with your prior partner and you are sure that herpes igg blood testing was done when you tested? herpes isn't a part of routine std testing hence why I ask that specifically.
if the hsv2 igg was negative, then hsv1 wasn't affecting it. Hsv1 causes false positives, not false negatives.
if the hsv2 igg was negative, then hsv1 wasn't affecting it. Hsv1 causes false positives, not false negatives.
genital prior to this partner? that would be back in september with a boyfriend i had. and i got tested for everything after we broke up and came back clean.
And i agree, this answer from his doctor is very odd. I dont understand why this is so hard to interpret and why they even werent straightforward with us from the beginning. and also why they still cannot give us a numerical result. All they have told us is that swab result was negative and didnt have a numerical result and the blood work for hsv2 was also technically negative ("<.9") but they want us to wait and retest because the hsv1 may be interacting with the number but they dont know for sure.
yea i didnt know men could get the gardasil shot but he had one done when he found out men could
And i agree, this answer from his doctor is very odd. I dont understand why this is so hard to interpret and why they even werent straightforward with us from the beginning. and also why they still cannot give us a numerical result. All they have told us is that swab result was negative and didnt have a numerical result and the blood work for hsv2 was also technically negative ("<.9") but they want us to wait and retest because the hsv1 may be interacting with the number but they dont know for sure.
yea i didnt know men could get the gardasil shot but he had one done when he found out men could
I have a feeling his provider is not very up to date on the herpes blood tests and how to interpret them from the sounds of things. why won't he give him the exact results?
when was the last time you had sex prior to this partner? not oral sex, genital or anal sex?
glad you both are covering your hpv bases too with gardasil :)
when was the last time you had sex prior to this partner? not oral sex, genital or anal sex?
glad you both are covering your hpv bases too with gardasil :)
well we called the doc and the results were technically negative but he told us they were unclear because he wants us to come back in 6 weeks and retest in case the results were too early.
Are you sure it wont be too early for me? It would have been around 6 weeks when he got tested but I will only be around 4 if i go in... But I am probably going in to the doctors tomorrow for blood work (i just talked to a nurse and I am waiting for a call back on available times). But i did talk to my doctor today about what he would like me to do and he was pretty confident that I would need genital lesions before he would say i have hsv2.
Yes he got checked for all other std's and were negative although now i am still probably going to go get bloodwork for all available ones just in case.
I have had all of my gardasil shots and he has gotten one.
Are you sure it wont be too early for me? It would have been around 6 weeks when he got tested but I will only be around 4 if i go in... But I am probably going in to the doctors tomorrow for blood work (i just talked to a nurse and I am waiting for a call back on available times). But i did talk to my doctor today about what he would like me to do and he was pretty confident that I would need genital lesions before he would say i have hsv2.
Yes he got checked for all other std's and were negative although now i am still probably going to go get bloodwork for all available ones just in case.
I have had all of my gardasil shots and he has gotten one.
hopefully your bf gets his exact hsv2 results so that you can post them for me to better help you both. I'm guessing his results were in the equivocal range but either way, his testing was done too early so he is going to have to repeat his herpes igg blood testing 3 months after the last time he had sex.
have you been tested yet? I'd get yourself tested now if you haven't been to see what your own status is. Your oral sex encounter wasn't a risk for hsv2 and it sounds like it's been long enough for your hsv2 results to be accurate for you at least.
the risk that you'd contract hsv2 from a one time protected weekend ( or even unprotected ) is pretty low. If you and your partner avoid sex anytime he has anything going on genitally and also use condoms until enough time has passed for his testing to be accurate, if he does indeed have hsv2, the risk of transmission to you is minimal. Have you also both covered all other std's too? Have either of you had your gardasil shots yet?
grace
have you been tested yet? I'd get yourself tested now if you haven't been to see what your own status is. Your oral sex encounter wasn't a risk for hsv2 and it sounds like it's been long enough for your hsv2 results to be accurate for you at least.
the risk that you'd contract hsv2 from a one time protected weekend ( or even unprotected ) is pretty low. If you and your partner avoid sex anytime he has anything going on genitally and also use condoms until enough time has passed for his testing to be accurate, if he does indeed have hsv2, the risk of transmission to you is minimal. Have you also both covered all other std's too? Have either of you had your gardasil shots yet?
grace
I won't judge your actions. To me this is why I rather have a single sexual partner who has no one but me. That is just me. Some people never want to help with someone elses fear. Especially when they think someone is "dirty" because of HSV. I mean you do shower right?
You are really over thinking this. Every person is different. So you can't compare the two. I know what you are trying to do is say that "this can't be herpes" because of his lack of symptoms. Healing of any symptom doesn't mean it takes a month. Genital herpes takes a month in initial cases but having HSV-1 does mean that symptoms will take less time to heal. But genital area does take a little longer to heal.
What you need to do is look for a boyfriend who won't add another person to the mix lol.
You are really over thinking this. Every person is different. So you can't compare the two. I know what you are trying to do is say that "this can't be herpes" because of his lack of symptoms. Healing of any symptom doesn't mean it takes a month. Genital herpes takes a month in initial cases but having HSV-1 does mean that symptoms will take less time to heal. But genital area does take a little longer to heal.
What you need to do is look for a boyfriend who won't add another person to the mix lol.
Yea that is what gets to me too! I hate that I am trusting this girl that he was with that I dont even know and the men she has been with. But then at the same time i trusted someone who i thought I could trust... Ughh..
By the way the girl he fooled around with is being very uncooperative. My friend did try to talk to her. But she is saying there is no way it couldve been her and im the nasty one, which really isnt helping my psyche.
Also I was thinking, when i get a cold sore they are very small and at the corner of my mouth and just plain uncomfortable. Also i havent had one in a few years, i get canker sores more often but those are something different that i mistook for cold sores. lol Anyway my point was that my friend, when he gets cold sores, around once or twice a year, they get ... noticible. I mean large blisters on his lip that grow and burst and do not heal for more than 2 weeks. So with the corelation of the two symptoms that differ between him and I, should we be looking to see if he has any genital symptoms sooner? Because for men it takes closer to around a month i heard and that again would be around this time.
if you cant answer that one i understand, its kind of a stretch and just an idea im throwin around =/
Sorry to try to push one more question in there before I even can post results. =P
By the way the girl he fooled around with is being very uncooperative. My friend did try to talk to her. But she is saying there is no way it couldve been her and im the nasty one, which really isnt helping my psyche.
Also I was thinking, when i get a cold sore they are very small and at the corner of my mouth and just plain uncomfortable. Also i havent had one in a few years, i get canker sores more often but those are something different that i mistook for cold sores. lol Anyway my point was that my friend, when he gets cold sores, around once or twice a year, they get ... noticible. I mean large blisters on his lip that grow and burst and do not heal for more than 2 weeks. So with the corelation of the two symptoms that differ between him and I, should we be looking to see if he has any genital symptoms sooner? Because for men it takes closer to around a month i heard and that again would be around this time.
if you cant answer that one i understand, its kind of a stretch and just an idea im throwin around =/
Sorry to try to push one more question in there before I even can post results. =P
I know the feeling abot the roulette feeling. I hated it. I hate giving people that. Grace will look into things on Monday.
Yes it is true that it could be the HSV-1 as well.
I wish I could tell you it isn't herpes. But until we get the idea of the results its hard to say whats going on. If there is anything we can do to help please let us know.
Yes it is true that it could be the HSV-1 as well.
I wish I could tell you it isn't herpes. But until we get the idea of the results its hard to say whats going on. If there is anything we can do to help please let us know.
Yea wow that info is scary at the beginning.. What you said about the low result being a early positive IS my initial and sole worry...
But also it could be from the HSV1 always being there to play a wierd part right?
I will definately keep you posted with the results as soon as I get them. I hope Grace will take a look and give her input im anxious to hear what she might have to say. I should know by tomorrow night.
Thanks for the help again, but this waiting game and russian roulette of chance is making me sick.. =/
But also it could be from the HSV1 always being there to play a wierd part right?
I will definately keep you posted with the results as soon as I get them. I hope Grace will take a look and give her input im anxious to hear what she might have to say. I should know by tomorrow night.
Thanks for the help again, but this waiting game and russian roulette of chance is making me sick.. =/
Hmm.. I guess that could be the case. Well I mean how often does the HSV1 skew the HSV2 reading? I researched that these tests are over 90% accurate.. and i just dont think that im lucky enough to be caught in the 10% who just happened to have false results.
And also what you are saying is not to trust your self-checks to judge if you have herpes or not because the symptoms are unclear? Because what I have been reading is that within almost 2 weeks I should have had a lesion, correct? Or atleast soon I should be going through some definate changes in my genital area.
My friend is going to call the doctors again on monday in hopes of talking to his doctor directly. And I know you have a very strong opinion on not getting to worked up to quickly but I am really nervous and scared.. This virus doesnt harm your body as much as say AIDS/HIV but it has a bad rep and I feel like it could dominate my life.. How come people arent as educated on herpes as AIDS/HIV?! lol =/
And dont worry about your speed of checking the thread over the weekend, the fact that you are taking the time to answer me at all is encouraging. Hope to hear from you (somewhat) soon =P thanks
And also what you are saying is not to trust your self-checks to judge if you have herpes or not because the symptoms are unclear? Because what I have been reading is that within almost 2 weeks I should have had a lesion, correct? Or atleast soon I should be going through some definate changes in my genital area.
My friend is going to call the doctors again on monday in hopes of talking to his doctor directly. And I know you have a very strong opinion on not getting to worked up to quickly but I am really nervous and scared.. This virus doesnt harm your body as much as say AIDS/HIV but it has a bad rep and I feel like it could dominate my life.. How come people arent as educated on herpes as AIDS/HIV?! lol =/
And dont worry about your speed of checking the thread over the weekend, the fact that you are taking the time to answer me at all is encouraging. Hope to hear from you (somewhat) soon =P thanks
The weekend is when most of us go out and play. I am guilty of that lol. We typically get to post within 24 hrs.
HSV-1 can for some people make the HSV-2 result be more than negative. We don't know why that is the case.
The nurse was wrong to have said that infront of you and should have spoken to the doctor or the lab before speaking with you. I guess this was clearly a lack of training for the test results.
I can't comment on your doctors mindset. We need a copy to know what was actually put there. Grace can answers and read those results easily.
1. There is no reason for it to be a positive thing. The test has numeric values. So the number doesn't mean "You have this antibody in your system" like you think. The number is a value against a control strip. That number can and does change. You can use the same blood sample and run it 100 times it will have different numbers 0.24 0.42 0.12 etc. The test never gives you a 0.
2. Nope again its a value against a control. The value isn't saying on a negative you have the anitbody. Its just the way the test works.
Most people don't know they have HSV-2 because they don't know what to look for. Once they know they realize they have had those symptoms. I know this isn't the best way to put it but its the case.
Keep asking us questions. Please get us his results so we can better help you. :-)
HSV-1 can for some people make the HSV-2 result be more than negative. We don't know why that is the case.
The nurse was wrong to have said that infront of you and should have spoken to the doctor or the lab before speaking with you. I guess this was clearly a lack of training for the test results.
I can't comment on your doctors mindset. We need a copy to know what was actually put there. Grace can answers and read those results easily.
1. There is no reason for it to be a positive thing. The test has numeric values. So the number doesn't mean "You have this antibody in your system" like you think. The number is a value against a control strip. That number can and does change. You can use the same blood sample and run it 100 times it will have different numbers 0.24 0.42 0.12 etc. The test never gives you a 0.
2. Nope again its a value against a control. The value isn't saying on a negative you have the anitbody. Its just the way the test works.
Most people don't know they have HSV-2 because they don't know what to look for. Once they know they realize they have had those symptoms. I know this isn't the best way to put it but its the case.
Keep asking us questions. Please get us his results so we can better help you. :-)
Thank you for replying, I was getting worried that my question would go unanswered. First of all I know that we both have HSV 1. And to go back to the doctors information, he straight told my friend that the results were unclear. We tried to call back the office to ask more questions and the nurse pulled up the paper work and said she couldnt understand any of it! not to be rude but that was a little irritating. She said that all there was were numbers with * next to them. This also worries me because if the results were Equivocal like you say, why wouldnt he just say that to us? Is he saying unclear because they were closer to Positive...? That freaks me out. Also that you said condoms only give about 30% protection for sex. That is a very scary and low percentage. And I have a few questions that seem difficult to answer in my opinoin but here goes:
First of all, how can a person have unclear results and have that be a positive thing? That quesiton may sound silly but I just dont understand how ANY HSV2 "number" on the test would be good. Doesnt that mean that it IS there and growing? And if that ISNT the case why would something even be showing up??
Also if it is rare that we got the HSV2 from my oral action and my friend expressed to me that he does not have much doubt that he got it from his one partner because he wouldve had symptoms by the time of the test, how did this even happen? I had not had any other partners.
Again thank you so much for your input and I'm so relieved someone is listening and trying to help. I hope my new questions arent too difficult and I can hear from you soon. =]
First of all, how can a person have unclear results and have that be a positive thing? That quesiton may sound silly but I just dont understand how ANY HSV2 "number" on the test would be good. Doesnt that mean that it IS there and growing? And if that ISNT the case why would something even be showing up??
Also if it is rare that we got the HSV2 from my oral action and my friend expressed to me that he does not have much doubt that he got it from his one partner because he wouldve had symptoms by the time of the test, how did this even happen? I had not had any other partners.
Again thank you so much for your input and I'm so relieved someone is listening and trying to help. I hope my new questions arent too difficult and I can hear from you soon. =]
To simplify things for me I am going to put things down in this post.
You and a trusted friend have a ongoing sexual relationship. Your trusted friend last had sex with a different partner at the end of Januay (January 31,2011) . 5 Weeks after the encounter of his encounter before you he had a test done.
You have another partner prior to him and you had oral sex.
Okay so let's start with you first.
Your encounter with your ex-friend (not the trusted friend) which was oral only (you giving). The risk for HSV-2 is low. Best way to explain it is HSV-2 doesn't like the oral location. HSV-2 orally is rare.
Now on to your trusted friend. The first thing you want to make sure is that the testing performed was the right one. He should have been tested with a type specific hsv igg test. This will be on the paperwork for his labs and something like HSV-1 igg 0.22 HSV-2 igg 0.44 (or more labs are using <0.90 now). Not that I am trained in testing but to my knowledge all HSV tests that are IGG come out with 3 different type of results. Negative Equivicol and Positive. Unclear doesn't make sense unless he was Equivicol. But him getting his lab results will clear up 2 of the main questions here. 1. Did he have an IGG or an IGM test. Use of the IGM test is greatly flawed and shouldn't be used. 2. What his numeric values are.
With that being said. Condoms only give about 30% of protection for sex. This is because HSV requires direct skin-to-skin contact. You only are protecting one part of the body. The other side to this is any encounter one time is a low risk activity. Also his testing for this encounter was done too soon. He needs to retest 3 months after his last sexual encounter. Same with you which I am not saying get tested because of your oral encounter (really testing isn't needed for that) but more or less for you to know your own status.
Also does your partner have HSV-1?
You and a trusted friend have a ongoing sexual relationship. Your trusted friend last had sex with a different partner at the end of Januay (January 31,2011) . 5 Weeks after the encounter of his encounter before you he had a test done.
You have another partner prior to him and you had oral sex.
Okay so let's start with you first.
Your encounter with your ex-friend (not the trusted friend) which was oral only (you giving). The risk for HSV-2 is low. Best way to explain it is HSV-2 doesn't like the oral location. HSV-2 orally is rare.
Now on to your trusted friend. The first thing you want to make sure is that the testing performed was the right one. He should have been tested with a type specific hsv igg test. This will be on the paperwork for his labs and something like HSV-1 igg 0.22 HSV-2 igg 0.44 (or more labs are using <0.90 now). Not that I am trained in testing but to my knowledge all HSV tests that are IGG come out with 3 different type of results. Negative Equivicol and Positive. Unclear doesn't make sense unless he was Equivicol. But him getting his lab results will clear up 2 of the main questions here. 1. Did he have an IGG or an IGM test. Use of the IGM test is greatly flawed and shouldn't be used. 2. What his numeric values are.
With that being said. Condoms only give about 30% of protection for sex. This is because HSV requires direct skin-to-skin contact. You only are protecting one part of the body. The other side to this is any encounter one time is a low risk activity. Also his testing for this encounter was done too soon. He needs to retest 3 months after his last sexual encounter. Same with you which I am not saying get tested because of your oral encounter (really testing isn't needed for that) but more or less for you to know your own status.
Also does your partner have HSV-1?
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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.
The challenge we face here is having 2 things against us. No results and time to accurately test hasn't been met. If this is an inital infection for him then we risk having a low positive right now being a true positive.
The other challenge with HSV-1 people when they get HSV-2 sometimes their outbreaks are more mild than say someone who just got infected with HSV for the first time. Not trying to scare you but give you the facts. I know this isn't comforting at all but this is the reality to it.
The other side of self checks is this. Yes you should look once a day not all the time in the bathroom. But even the Herpes experts visually misdiagnois someone half the time with either having it or not. This is why we say be seen by the professionals when you have symptoms. But yes if you were to have an outbreak it should have been within 2-20 days. Typically 2-14 days but we do say 2-20.
Believe me when I say this. I know what you are going through. You get bored one day go look at my oh 50 first posts here a year ago. You will see I was more freaked out then you. Spent over 1000 dollars on testing, exams, and freaking out. So I know telling someone to relax isn't always going to help but it often doesn't hurt to try and talk someone down from the fear. Any STD has a bad rep. The first thing people think about when they hear STD is something along the lines of you sleep around a lot. Reality is that isn't the case at all. HSV isn't going to dominate your life if you don't let it. The virus isn't going to kill you and hey if you ask me its a way to find out a potential partners dedication to the relationship. There is medicine to help control outbreaks and viral shedding. But none the less I know people fear what they don't know.
My theory for HSV education is that it isn't a deadly virus. It's not going to kill you or destory your immune system. So for some why bother with it. We know more about HIV/AIDS because of the impact to human life. How many people know about Strep or Staph infections? Not many. But HPV, HIV, Syphilis, etc we go through sex ed classes at school (not sure your age but) and in my class we covered every major STD but HSV. People think you put that condom on and its going to stop everything. It doesn't stop HSV because its shed from the skin where an outbreak is at or the virus viral sheds from. Lot's of skin touching in sex. Thats my theory on it. You yourself probbaly wouldn't have spent the time to look into much had your partner not tested the way he did.
I try to help those that I can. I don't have much of a life since my girlfriend and I split. So its either the forums, driving around, spending time out with the few friends I have, or volunteering at the hospitial.
Let us know what happens with your friends appointment. I hope he doesn't mind you sharing with us.