confused and stressed about the herpes test

i recently had a positive igm n negative for both 1,2 igg herpes test. is this possible if the last person i had sexual contact with was 9 months ago, wont the igg test be positive ? im 7 months pregnant with my husband i know for sure he hasnt been with anybody else.im so stressed that i might pass it to my baby ..please if anyone know?...

[Mistakeguy789]

IGM is a highly flawed test when it comes to herpes testing.  If your last sexual encounter was longer then 3 months (in your case 6 months has passed) you should believe your igg tests.  I have a journal entry which links to a post made by one of our STD experts explaining why IGM shouldn't be used.  Believe your IGG results.

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/173049/Herpes-IgM-Testing?personal_page_id=991435

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than you !

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also how do i avoid passing herpes to my baby during delivery  incase i was infected no symptoms or anything ....

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also how do i avoid passing herpes to my baby during delivery  incase i was infected no symptoms or anything ....

[RPES]

My doctor put me on Valtrex during the whole last month of my pregnancy.  That prevents you from having any outbreaks during that time.  I was able to deliver my baby with out spreading the virus to her.  

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my doctor doesnt want to put me on any medications cause i dont have any outbreaks, also they are not sure about which herpes i have ...

[gracefromHHP]

you actually are getting to the point where diagnosing you by blood tests for herpes is going to be tricky. the natural hemodilution that occurs with pregnancy can cause false negatives.

why did they test you for herpes anyways? did you have symptoms?

has your husband had a type specific herpes igg blood test done to see what his status is?

your providers should've never done the herpes igm testing on you. ask them to review the 2010 cdc herpes testing guidelines to update their knowledge of herpes blood testing. was your igg testing for herpes negative?

grace

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so it could be a false negative ?..... no symptoms at all i juts felt like i wanted to get tested to be sure and that my baby will be safe. so your saying i could get a false negative on my igg test.?  my igg was negative for both 1 and 2 hsv but positive for img 1.80 hsv not specific.i know very well for sure that my husband did not give it to me. im thinking its my past 10 months ago with another person. would i have some kind of symptoms, i had chicken pox when i was 5 or something...i got rested 2 weeks after now im waiting on my results...i cant talk to my doctor because he was very rude and wasnt helping much ive stressing cant eat or sleep its harming my baby...and thank you very much for your time, very generous of you to help people get through problems like this...

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also if i was to be positive wouldnt i have some sort of an outbreak ? becasue im pregnant and my immune system is weak.

[gracefromHHP]

are you the only person your husband has ever had sex with in his entire life?

honestly your providers erred in using the igm test on you. totally disregard the results ( and ask them to better educate themselves on herpes blood testing! ).  It's not likely you really contracted hsv2 10 months ago and it didn't show up in your igg testing. It's unfortunate that you weren't tested before the 7 month of pregnancy mark though!

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my other stupid doctor said there was no such thing as blood testing for herpes , ughhh..so i ignored it and my gyno gave me the test because im prego.sorry to give to much info, okay i had sex with 2 different partners 2 years ago,and oral sex with someone 3 years ago, also 10 months ago i was very intoxicated n wasnt sure what happened that night all i remember was a lot of kissing..and my husband had sex with no one else but me.  i  just did another test, and i will schedule one for my husband. is the igg test pointless taking it at the third trimester ? ....i took about 3 tests within a month for the next 2 results will be confirmed? so i should ignore the img, why is it there? the gyno said my husband cheated on me n i caught something within 6 months , i thought this was BS.because my igg was negative  and im thinking it was my past from the 10 months ago..also is 1.80 a high positive for the igm...

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also no symptoms at all...ive been stresssing super crazy should i have something by now ?....cant sleep or eat and i know its not healthy but its so hard ...im scared because of my past it will affect my baby....

[gracefromHHP]

no reason to suspect your husband of having other partners at this point, just err on the side of caution since you are pregnant and get him tested. It really sounds though like your provider just scared you for nothing :(  

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thank you so much! ...again so the  igg test wouldnt be accurate for me at this point of my pregnany ?.....

[gracefromHHP]

you are in an iffy time frame at the moment. your prior igg was negative though so that's a good sign.

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sorry for bugging you what is the percentage or possibility that is a false neg .very very worried my results will come in  within 2 week, im going crazy cant get out of house because im so depressed or it could my 33 weeks pregnancy hormone ...

[gracefromHHP]

sorry but we don't have enough research to give you a reliable stat. we do know that the last trimester of pregnancy can cause false negatives sometimes. you really have no reason to think herpes though dear - you've had no symptoms and your last possible time of possible infection was before you were pregnant unless hubby has it and never knew it.

hormones of pregnancy can do funny things to you - call up your gf's and tell them to DRAG YOU KICKING AND SCREAMING OUT OF THE HOUSE  for something :)   Remember, your body needs extra calcium while pregnant and mickie d's has shamrock shakes back again if you can't come up with anything better to do !  

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thank you so much again! it makes me feel so much better god i hate igm test scared the life outta me, my doctor was really mean n made me feel bad about myself...im getting the result in 2 weeks hopefully you ll still be answering some questions by then...thank you so much! ..

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i also have another question. is it true that if the blood test was a igm non specific means that i have contracted  hsv either 1 or 2 .?  so the  igm test are meaningless because they are not specific about it ? or its wrong because people get false positives on non specific igm test even when they havent contracted any hsv? im confused.

[gracefromHHP]

the herpes igm test is often falsely positive because of hsv1 infections as well as other infections.  

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the reason why its a false positive is because i have hsv 1 ? im positive for igm  non specific , so that would mean the  igm test was correct ? i still lost..  or it could be my chicken pox from when i was young.. how could the igm be wrong if they re not specific about which type you have and you were tested for positive. im guessing the specific igm tests are not accurate?

[Mistakeguy789]

When we talk about testing we talk about the antibody the test looks for.  For example IGM testing looks for IGM anitbodies.  They aren't specific because IGM is usually the first antibody released to fight infections (new or old) until the immune system creates the correct anitbody to fight the infection.  In HSV this is the IgG antibody.  There is a journal entry for me that explains this from our STD experts.  Regardless IGM is flawed test for HSV and you should use the type specific IGG tests.  

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so i could be infected with any infection not just hsv ? even tho i was positive for hsv igm  ...so the hsv igm test looks for any new infections ? then how could the igm be wrong ? ...also how long does it normally take for the hsv igg antibody to be in your immune system, im confused because the last possible exposure was 10 months ago. i took a test and it showed that i am hsv igm 1.80  detected and negative for hsv1 igg and hsv 2 igg....how is the hsv igm not reliable ? is it because i had chicken pox in the past ? why doesnt the chicken pox interfere with HSV test when i had it years ago?.... im still confused please help ! =[

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why does the chicken pox interfere with hsv *** correction ..

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so basically the hsv igm is useless when it comes to determining weather you have hsv1 and hsv2 ?

[gracefromHHP]

I believe we've already covered that it's a flawed test and not recommended to be used to diagnose herpes in adults.  

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im just confused about why its a FLAWED test, because you guys say that  a lot but is there any evidence ? .. sorry for questioning but you can put people that are concerned at risk...im not sure what to believe anymore because ive been to 3 doctors and they all have told me the same nothing about the IGM test being not reliable . internet or REAL doctors, i have a chose to believe weather its real or not but this can put many people ast risk...

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i mean igm being RELIABLE*** correction.

[gracefromHHP]

the 2010 cdc recommendations clearly state that the herpes igm test shouldn't be used due to the false positive issues. we ( as in HHH, Hook, Terri Warren and myself ) have made thousands of posts on why it shouldn't be used.   Your providers are under educated about herpes testing.  

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yeah when i got my results nothing really adds up supposedly i had a recent infection within 6 months when ive been with my husband who is hsv free, i was stressed because the last time i had sexual contact was 10 months ago without any symptoms...also when do people normally get hsv symptoms after contracted it ?

[gracefromHHP]

so hubby was tested and is negative?

if you are going to notice symptoms of genital herpes infection, they typically occur within 2-20 days of being infected.

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actually hes getting tested tomorrow but im 100% that he doesnt have it but im scared that i was the one that gave it to him, i dont know what to think anymore. because of my stupid past 10 months ago. i havent  gotten any symptoms at all unless i didnt notice it, is that possible... im so scared and worried , thanks for responding to me. thank you so much and i hope what you say about the igm tests are true ....thanks grace . ill up date my second results and my husbands as well ...

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also....    i would LOVE to know if the herpes virus can "hide" away or lay dormant for so long that the antibodies dont show up in a IgG test?

[gracefromHHP]

most folks always test accurately on the herpes blood tests if they are infected.


have you ever talked to a professional about any guilt you have about the encounters you've had with others while with your partner?  

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no, but if the last sexual person i had in contact with was 10 months ago  it wouldve been a 100% positive igg right ?

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dear grace

my results came in and the doctor said it was the same exact thing negative for igg hsv1 and igg hsv 2, positive for hsv1/2 igm 1.80 i took it 2 weeks after the first one...what does this mean??....have i really caught the herpes and not have any symptoms im so devastated......

[gracefromHHP]

they absolutely should not still be doing the igm herpes test on you!!

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its a false positive then why are 2 different tests the same number ? ....please explain im even more stressed out and confused..........

[gracefromHHP]

you might test that same /similar result every time you have it done.  

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so its a false positive even if its the same number? its driving me nuts about which hsv i have im going crazyyy and dying to figure out.. can i be one of those people who never had the igg antibody but still have hsv , is that even possible? please help me figure this one out grace
=[...

[gracefromHHP]

I'm not sure how many more times I need to tell you that the igm herpes test is flawed and you should disregard the results until you believe me. nothing really else I can add at this time.

[Mistakeguy789]

I am just going to throw this link out there.  It was what I linked to in my journal that I provided you with in the first post.  Read this and understand please.  This is a Doctor giving out this information.  So of anyone to believe if you don't trust grace and I it would be this guy.  

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Confusiion-over-other-IgM-Herpes-posts/show/248394

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thank you...ive been miserable, and i dont know what to do anymore.. also im pregnant and its so hard .my vision is a blurr i cant think straight..i want to believe you guys but the results are is making me think that i do have something ...especially when you have the same results ...but i will try my best to believe what you guys are saying about the igm tests...

[Mistakeguy789]

If you don't want to believe us then consider seeing a professional therapist at this point. They can help you get over this fear/anxiety.  You have the facts you have the proof.  I mean what more can we give you?  We can't pull out all your nerves and run it for HSV.  A some point you have to realize that IGM is worthless for Herpes.  The CDC says so, its been proven to be worthless, and quite honestly if we felt you had a fear to worry about with the IGM test we would tell people to use it.  But we don't for just the reason you are having issues getting over the test.  

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dear mistake guy well i read it over and it said that you cant have a positive hsv igm and not actually have hsv, its not reliable because it doesnt tell you which hsv you have but you do have either HSV 1 Or HSV 2...so that means the test cant be wrong....what is that proving to me? it  means that i did caught something right ?.......

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"The doctor NEVER stated that you CAN'T have a positive IgM test and not have either strain of HSV. " this part kind  of got to me ....is that true, especially if i had the same exact igm ..also is 1:80 considered high or or low positive?

[gracefromHHP]

the igm test isn't type specific for herpes. it also is frequently falsely positive due to other, non-herpes infections. it also can reactivate because of hsv1 oral infections. it's really not helpful and honestly there is absolutely nothing we can ascertain by it being positive for you.

I will gladly help you with your partners herpes igg blood test results when he gets them but really at this point it's beating the proverbial dead horse wondering about your igm results. it's unfortunate that your providers are under educated about herpes testing and have caused you so much unnecessary stress like this!

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it kinda makes sense becuase i think i had a tiny cold sore long time ago but why wont it show up in my igg ?...

[gracefromHHP]

even the best blood tests still miss 1 out of every 10 hsv1 infections. no easy way to know if you do have hsv1 orally or not sometimes. should you get a return of what you think is a cold sore, being seen for  a lesion culture and exam might figure that out for you.

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could they really miss it twice ?....

[gracefromHHP]

yes

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so i read that hsv 2 is easier to detect than hsv 1 .? is that true ?....

[gracefromHHP]

yes

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i dont even think i have hsv2 anymore first of all no symptoms whatsoever, and by now im pretty sure the test would be a positive by now especially with 2 tests done. and i remember having a very mild cold sore once in a great while, maybe thats why its so hard to detect ? plus i had a flu vaccine because im pregnant which is an infection, right ?..whatt a relief ! sighhh...makes me feeel better grace !!!! =] my husband  reschedule his blood test appt. on monday because he was busyy so the test should be done in 2weeks ...

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and the doctor made no sense of me catching the disease within 3 months latest is 6 months  . i think i wouldve caught something long ago with my husband...hes only good for a pregnancy provider , not stds.... so im pretty sure he hasnt been updated with these kind of things ..

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is my assumptions right grace or am i wrong ? ....

[gracefromHHP]

really nothing else I can add at this point until your partner has been tested to know his status.

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but honestly grace whatever i wrote makes sense or was i wrong?

[gracefromHHP]

you could've been with your hubby for 10 or 20 years before you caught herpes from him if he has it so no, your assumption about him isn't right.

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ohh no no im not assuming its my husband at all im the one to blame because of my past 10 months ago. i think you should read it over... the igm was positive because i got the flu shot which is an infection right like what u should said it could be any infections....also hsv 1 is harder to detect because they come and go for a long time ?..is this right ... i would never blame im depressed because i feel like im the one to blame ...

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btw were a young couple ...

[gracefromHHP]

I know you don't think hubby is the cause of any of this, I'm saying you are making wrong assumptions.

at this point, no more questions until you have his test results. really nothing else I can help you with for your + igm that I haven't already said.  all this guessing and conjecture isn't going to get us anywhere.

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okay so my husbands igg hsv2 neg and hsv 1 positive , that explains my positive IGM...

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after all these years i recently contracted it from him ? ..he never had an outbreak in his life but i think i had a cold sore but it wasnt all crazy like a blister juts a red spot. i have 2 questions . 1) is it true that once you have hsv1 on ur lips its unlikely that you will get it in ur genital ? 2) can some people never have iGG antibody ? i honestly still feel like i was the one that had pass hsv 1 to him. because of our past . but its weird because i have a both NEG IGG ...and positive IGM

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after all these years i recently contracted it from him ? ..he never had an outbreak in his life but i think i had a cold sore but it wasnt all crazy like a blister juts a red spot. i have 2 questions . 1) is it true that once you have hsv1 on ur lips its unlikely that you will get it in ur genital ? 2) can some people never have iGG antibody ? i honestly still feel like i was the one that had pass hsv 1 to him. because of our past . but its weird because i have a both NEG IGG ...and positive IGM

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im scared of having hsv genital, what are the chances of catching it genitally we share drinks a lot and he often uses his spit as lube n has gave me oral, i think i have cold sores but so far it looks different from other peoples cold sores. it seems like mine goes away with 2 days, thats obviously not a cold sore then ? im worried that i might have it genitally what are the chances of getting it down there ? .

[gracefromHHP]

for the last time - you absolutely can not ascertain that you contracted herpes because you have a + igm result.

your hsv1 is negative so hubby should avoid performing oral on you for the rest of your pregnancy so that you don't risk you contracting hsv1 genitally from him. Other than that, nothing you have to worry about at this point.

grace

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so its possible not to be infected after all these years ? he had no symptoms whatsoever..

[gracefromHHP]

yes indeed it's possible that you've been with him all these years and never contracted hsv1.

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i know you have said it many times that igm tests are worthless but now it kind of dont make any sense that the igm is wrong in this case, i do believe your theory but its not happening here, because the igm tests are made for recent or recurrent infections. like you said i could of contracted it recently. so there is high chance that i recently caught HSV 1 and my IGG test did not show up since i dont have the igg antibody yet, but the igm antibody showed up...

[Mistakeguy789]

Nothing is a theory about the HSV-1 IGM test.  If you spent the time to read the link where a Doctor who has recieved many awards and been dealing with STDs for over 20 years has said the test is WORTHLESS for HSV.  

Again IGM is worthless. IGM is made for many recent infections.  It is even made if chickenpox is in the body.  It's worthless. It is beyond time to move on with your fear from the igm test. You have been told by 2 people who know a lot about Herpes.  You have read an article by a MD who stated it is a flawed test.  The CDC doesn't even recommend the use of IGM testing anymore because of this very fact.  

Medical stuff changes like technology.  We learn more and we have learned that the IGM test cross reacts with so many different things it isn't funny.  Because it cross reacts the theory that it is going to "catch" a new infection is not working anymore.  You can't get a reliable reading from an IGM test because of the cross reacts.  If you think about a blood test that can show a 100 different possibilities is accurate for just 1 of those possible things is wrong.  That is why we tell people only get the IGG.  This is the anitbody created to FIGHT HSV directly.  IGM isn't going to fight just HSV and it doesn't do it effectively anyway.  IGM fights many different things.  You could have any one of those many different things going on.  

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when should i get tested to confirm that i dont have it ?

[Mistakeguy789]

3 months after your last sexual encounter and use only the type specific igg testing.  

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worst case scenario, that i caught hsv 1 genitally.when does the symptoms show? or how will i know i caught either oral or genitial, we kiss a lot but he uses lube his salvia to sub for lube he he gives me oral but not a lot. i thought i had a cold sore but it only lasts for a 2 days its a very tiny red bump no fluid blisters and no pain at all is that a cold sore?..say if i caught it around jan...IM 35 weeks pregnant should i be on treatment ? im very scared to pass it to the babyyy..........

[Mistakeguy789]

Okay okay okay.  You still aren't listening to us.  

We advised you you didn't have herpes.  We told you since he was HSV-1 positive to cease oral sex during the pregnancy.  

You want to think you have HSV-1 and we don't agree with you.  Stop trying to force the thought down us.  You have had no symptoms.  You are thinking everything is Herpes.  A cold sore won't go away in two days.  Your symptoms for a new infection would show in 2-20 days.  So what if you kiss a lot if you have HSV-1 oral its not going to impact your unborn child.  Salivia isn't the best way to transmit the virus.  

Your fear is uncontrolable at this time.  You need to step back and think.  Would Grace or I advise you to stop beliving a test if we felt their was concern for your pregnancy?  The other side to this is you have no proof you have HSV-1 at all.  None.  You base the decision to think you have it off an IGM test which shouldn't have been done to begin with.  

Should you be on treatment for what?  You don't have anything at this point that we can see but none of your testing will be accurate until 3 months after the last encounter.  If you had HSV you would have seen in within 2-20 days.  If you have symptoms be seen by your doctor they can culture and type anything that they may feel is herpes.  If you get to delievery and they feel you have an outbreak they will do a C-Section.  HSV-1 genitially if you caught it doesn't reoccur that often and for some it never reoccurs.  It is not as bad as HSV-2 genital.

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okay but cant symptoms be so mild that you cannot recognize it? about 80% of people that catch this disease dont know that they have it because of no symptoms, right? kind of upsets me because there is evidence that i have recently contract it and i know i have a chose weather take the advice, you guys make me believe that i don't have anything but i have a lot of questions and doubt about it...if 80% of us has hsv1, wouldn't everyone kind of have genital herpes?  

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i wouldnt care if i had it oral, but im scared of getting it genitally , im hoping for a cold sore at this point, i heard that it is unlikely you will get it genitally if you have it orally. my guess was that the tiny red  dot on my lips was a cold sore since most people with HSV has very mild symptoms and wouldnt notice it . my mom has cold sores and it looks really disgusting.  mine doesnt have blisters or fluid stuff. can it be a cold sore since some people have really mild symptoms?

[gracefromHHP]

there is no more blood testing that is going to be helpful to you at this point during your pregnancy.  Due to the issues with pregnancy that I discussed previously, you are less likely to get an accurate test result at this point in your pregnancy but really the point is moot since you aren't having symptoms that sound like they are herpes.

Your partner should not perform oral sex on you for the rest of your pregnancy so that you don't risk contracting hsv1 genitally during the last trimester of your pregnancy which would be a big risk to the baby.

Should you develop any symptoms that trouble you, see your regular provider if they are oral, see your obgyn if they are genital.  

really nothing else we can help you with at this point. I know being pregnant you are worried about this but we've told you all that we can.  If you chose to hold on to the idea that your + igm means that it just has to be accurate and what I've told you is wrong, so be it but you are stressing yourself out needlessly.  

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okay i dont know if this is a symptom but i ve notice that when i a lot of  discharge sometimes i get a lil itch, is it normal have an itch here and there? is it the pregnancy thats causing this increase discharge with a very mild itching ?

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what are the symptoms i should look for im shaking and have a big anxiety right now..

[gracefromHHP]

if you have symptoms, be seen by your obgyn for a proper exam and testing.

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sorrry again for bothering you guys just one more thing.i did mention that i had a cold sore in the past,maybe it was the natural hemodilution that was in the way with the test like you said . im stressed about the test because they said it was "recent" infection that was my concern...i already knew somewhat that i do have cold sores but it was the test that made me more confused, my only concern was catching it genitally. is there a high rate for false negatives due to natural hemodiution in third trimester?

[gracefromHHP]

we've given you all the information we could possibly give to you at this point.  continue to follow up with your providers as needed.