positive culture but negative blood test

[vryconfused]

ok so im trying to make sence out of this. i do a physical check up, get blood drawn for stds as well. i was called by my doctor and informed that i was negative for everything, then im informed by my boyfriend that he tested positive for herpes (he had an outbreak). so i then go 2 weeks later and get a culture test done and they informed me that im posititive for both strands.  The culture test was done without me having any symptoms and with me having abnormal cells on my cervix. so do i go by the blood test or the culture, mind u i have been with him for 4 yrs and have never had any type of blister, lesion, or even a cold sore.

[gracefromHHP]

you can't test + for hsv1 and hsv2 from the pap test. I'm guessing it was abnormal and showed signs suggestive of genital herpes perhaps which can not determine hsv1 or hsv2.

at this point, wait 3 months after the last time you had sex prior to your partner developing signs of genital herpes and repeat your herpes igg blood test at that point. I can help you with the results if you get them and post them here. also if you call your regular doctor and get your last herpes blood test results  and post them here - e.g. hsv1 igg .34 and hsv2 igg .32 or whatever they are, I can better help you with those too.

if your bf tests + for hsv2 and you don't, that means he had it prior to meeting you.

grace

[vryconfused]

No she didn't specify, she just said the cells were abnormal and I was positive for both strands and that she wanted to retest me in 6 months. Never told me why they might be abnormal or if the abnormal cells might give an error on the herpes test.

[Still_Worried_]

I know that when a PAP comes back with abnormal cells associated w/ the Herpes virus, it is typically unreliable.  When you said your PAP came back abnormal, did they specify if it was due to HPV, herpes, etc.?

If your blood test for HSV II came back negative, it is likely that you escaped infection from your bf; however, it may take 3 months for a blood test to turn positive after your last exposure.  

[vryconfused]

He tested for hsv2, he had blisters and they tested the fluid. I know I didn't have any lesions or blisters externally or internally because I asked the doctor if she saw any and she said no so I know she just tested the cells a regular pap is tested with. But mind u when I did the blood test i did it with my regular doctor and he told me everything I was tested for and it included herpes and his results came back negative.

[gracefromHHP]

odds are that you were never tested for herpes as part of all your yearly testing. you can check your last std results to see if herpes was a part of it or not.

I'd also confirm your herpes testing you had done with a type specific herpes igg blood test to see what your status is. Not sure if you actually had a lesionc ulture done or just the herpes screening that is sometimes included with certain brands of pap tests which isn't always so accurate.  You are very unlikely to test + for both hsv1 and hsv2 from a culture so definitely double check your testing you had done to confirm what testing did come back +.

How was your bf tested for herpes? does he have hsv1 or hsv2?

grace

[russty]

The culture is the most accurate, because it actually detects the virus, the blood test is to show that your body has noticed there was an infection, and then it creates the antibodies, that could take months or even longer for them to appear....and I belive they may never show up? When you did the blood draw, are you sure they tested for herpes, cuz they usually don't unless you ask specifically!!!!!!!! You may never have an outbreak, or it could take months?....but try and stay healthy......cuz it can be quite an ordeal....the first outbreak!  For some I don't think its as bad as for others?