is it hsv

[zilly523]

Hello about 4 years ago i was diagnosed with hsv1 through a blood test. I have freqently gotten cold sores on my mouth but i began to get 1 blister on the inner part of my groin/bikini line so i went to get tested and the blood work came back positive for hsv1. I rarely had any outbreaks after that until recently i have another sore in the same general area, I was tested again for stds including herpes about a month ago because I am recently in a new relationship and they all came back negative. It showed I had had hsv in the past but no recent infection. But now with this sore i did a herpes culture of it to see and that came back negative so im not sure what to think here. The sore has since popped and ive been putting medication on it but its not going away. Is there a reason why the culture may have came back negative if it is herpes? thank you

[gracefromHHP]

can you call monday and get them to read your herpes blood test results that you had done recently so you can post them for me? All I need to see are the numeric results - ie hsv1 igg 4.4 and hsv2 igg 5.4 or whatever they are.

has your partner been tested to know their own status too?

grace

[Mistakeguy789]

The problem with some cultures is that the virus can "die" or not enough of the virus present for the cutlture to detect.  However, it could also be that it isn't herpes at all.  This is only for cultures and not ones that use PCR.  The PCR test is highly sensitive and can detect the virus via RNA instead of the need for it to grow.  

The fact that you were diagnoised previously with a culture I believe does prove you have HSV-1.  Depending on the test used to see if you have herpes or not could give you a false negative/positive.  The test you will want to see the HSV is a type specific blood test IgG test.  These tests will prove you have the antibodies or do not.  In your case an HSV-1 test is going to tell you what you already know.  You have HSV-1.  

Once you have the virus in on location it is rare for you to infect another part of your body as the anitbodies will present a response to killing the virus.