What was your herpes 1 score?
Anything under a 3.5 should be confirmed on an hsv2 test, especially if you have hsv1.
If you do have hsv2, antivirals daily will help reduce the risk to your partner. If you aren't having symptoms, and aren't sexually active, its up to you if you want to take it now.
Aj
my herpes 1 score was <.90 or negative
OK, well a 1.64 is low enough to warrant a retest to confirm that you are indeed positive.
Aj
How long should I wait to retest.
thank you. I hope I have dodged a bullet and learned a valuable lesson
You can retest now.
Here are some threads that you can read for more info -
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/558915 (This one also lists other threads, too)
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/543533
Aj
Thanks for the information. I will let you know the results. I may wait a little while untill i can afford it. In the mean time and from now on I will remain cautious.
Thank you for the information you have provided in other post as mentioned above. I would like to get your opinion on my score for HerpesSelect for HV2 of 1.64. would you consider this score low enough to be fairly confident of a false positive result. Again I have had no leisions or outbreaks.
Thanksagain for the information you provide and shining a little light on the accuracy of the tests
Your post ended up here.
Dr. HHH can't respond over here. If you want his opinion, you have to post your own question, and pay $15. However, pay attention to the notices when you post - if your question has been answered before, they might not answer yours, and you won't get your money back.
Your question has been answered several times over in that forum, but post if you want to try anyway.
Aj
Sorry about that. I was just curious as to what he thought about my score. It was a little higher than the one he commented on. Thanks for the info. I am new to this.
Oh no need for apologies. I just didn't want you posting it and being disappointed if he didn't respond.
No worries. :)
Aj
Thanks. As I think about this I always come up with other questions. One of which is What is your gut feeling on this. I am a 42 year old divorced male in good health. I last had sex 5 months ago. I have not had an outbreak or any symptoms. the woman I had sex with called me approximately 1 month ago and told me she had been diagnosed with trichonomas. She mentioned nothing of herpes. Again I have had no symptoms of either infection. I did get a prescription for the trich, "just in case" . Also I have had kidneystones in the past and after I took the prescription, I was experincing syptoms of kidneystones, (pain in the back and side what I now believe to be blood in my urine.) I also had and still have a very slight burning sensation in the tip of my penis but not during urination and not on the outside surfaces. I do not drink much water so my urine tends to be concentrated. I drank lots of water and the burning went away except for when i was sitting down. when I stand up and move around the burning goes away. In the mornings after waking up there is no burning sensation. kidneystone syptoms have subsided all together.
Is it possible/probable that the medication as well as dehydration and kidneystones could have created enough background noise to give me a 1.64 on the HV2 select test even though I was <90 on the HV1.
Again Just want you gut feeling on this and I will not treat it as a diagnosis.
Thanks for your patience with me and this problem I am afraid I have.
No, none of that would have contributed.
There is a lot of debate in this field as to the cut offs for type 2. Many feel that it needs to be higher than 1.10, and that anything under a 3.5 should be negative, or at least confirmed.
Aj
And background noise is due more with testing conditions than anything else .
I have hsv2, and I could get a 4.6 today, and tomorrow would get a 5.7. It doesn't mean I am any more positive tomorrow than I was today, it just means a different test kit was used, it might be warmer or cooler in the lab, a different tech might be reading it, etc.
Aj
Again with the questions. Why is there the debate on the where the cutoff should be for a positive test. I obviously want it to be a higher score to indicate a positve result.
Also is a burning sensationin the penis (urinary tract) associated with herpes.
I did consult with Dr. Hook and he said due to no outbreak and a "low positive" score that I may not have herpes and unless I get an outbreak I should "worry no further". I am taking his advice but willl from now on be much more careful.
There is debate because so many under 3.5 turn out to be false positives.
I agree fully with Dr. Hook.
Good luck,
Aj
Thanks
I think with the information above and the length of time since possible infection in conjunction with a score far below the 3.0-3.5 range, I am safe. I don't want to face this again.
Have you heard that there is a possible advancement towards a cure. Scientist in North Carolina may have discoverd a way to bring the virus out its dormant state then kill it before it replicates. I don't know if it has merrit. It is all aver my head but just thought you might find it interesting
Thanks for what this group does and good luck to you
Hi there -
I've heard that news, and while it might help work towards a cure, its very new, and not anywhere near being a cure yet. A cure is still many many years away.
Aj
I know I said I wasn't going to worry about it and I am almost there but questions do keep coming to mind.
How likely am to have had an outbreak in the first few days and if I didn't have one then how common is it to wait 6 months or more before having one.
Also, after feeling a tingle or itch, how long before an outbreak is visible? I feel different sensations but don't know if they are real or just in my head and I don't remember them being specific to one spot?
I know there is fluctuation in test scores but after at least 5 months of possible infection wouldn't my score be higher than 3.0 of I were in fact positive?
I hate to trouble you with these questions but they jsut come to mind and I want to know the answers
Thank you again
Just a bump on the above post not because I haven't gotten a response but because I thought of another question.
For clarification, Dr. Hook advised me not to worry any further. Do think he meant for me to consider my self negative unless symptoms appear. I just want to make sure I am clear on this.
Thanks again for your input and being a great help to all of us. Hope I didn't offend you with the Bump. I didn't expect a response over the weekend.
At this point there is nothing else we can do to help you. I'm sure you've pretty much exhausted your replies on the std expert site too - they only accept so many follow up questions. You have low positive results. At this point get a herpes WB drawn to see what your status is and go from there. Anything until then would just be guessing on our part. If you still have symptoms that bother you, follow up on them with your provider this week. NOTHING can replace your provider actually seeing you and doing actual testing on you.
grace
i have read many posts on this website and others however this is the only one I have posted any questions. Some the post indicated someone who has been educated on symptons can recognize mild outbreaks.
Can you tell me what to look for in the mildest of outbreaks.?
Thanks
www.ashastd.org and www.westoverheights.com ( the herpes handbook on that site ) are both resources that go into more detail what to look for with ob's.
I recommend putting down the flashlight and stopping examining yourself except for once a day in the shower while washing. You'll just drive yourself nuts needlessly otherwise.
grace
You seem to know me to well. I am inclined to believe that my test was a false positive because of the low positive score and no obvious outbreak but I guess I jsut want to be sure. I probably examine myself too much with a flashlight and a magnifying glass and i think I have driven myself nuts. Thanks for the advice.