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HSV false positive & resources
I had protected sex with a prostitute in Guatemala on oct 28, 2012. She was "high class", not a street walker.
Condom for oral sex, condom for vaginal sex. One codom broke, I washed with soap and water quickly afterwards and then new condom. Besides my wife, no other sexual contacts.
I have no STD symptoms at all.
Nov 28 2012 I had comprehensive std panel via stdalert/labcorp, including rapid HIV.
All results negative except HSV 2:
HSV 2IgG Type Spec 1.26 High index 0.00 -0.9
negative 1.09
1) If I am infected, please recommend some resources. I am married and my wife may divorce me over this weather or not I am actually infected.
2) Given that the result is so low, could it be a false positive?
3) If it could be false positive, what further testing should I do?
How long does it take for the biokit and WB to be accurate
Would another labcorp test be worth taking?
Condom for oral sex, condom for vaginal sex. One codom broke, I washed with soap and water quickly afterwards and then new condom. Besides my wife, no other sexual contacts.
I have no STD symptoms at all.
Nov 28 2012 I had comprehensive std panel via stdalert/labcorp, including rapid HIV.
All results negative except HSV 2:
HSV 2IgG Type Spec 1.26 High index 0.00 -0.9
negative 1.09
1) If I am infected, please recommend some resources. I am married and my wife may divorce me over this weather or not I am actually infected.
2) Given that the result is so low, could it be a false positive?
3) If it could be false positive, what further testing should I do?
How long does it take for the biokit and WB to be accurate
Would another labcorp test be worth taking?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Some people never develop postive WB results; it tops out at 90-95% after 3-4 months. However, the combination of negative ELISA (or very low positive results like yours) is close to 100% reliable.
As discussed, it is unlikely you caught HSV-2 during the recent sexual encounter. Therefore, the time since that encounter is not a strong reason to delay the WB test. However, if you want complete assurance from the WB result, wait until 3-4 months after the exposure.
As discussed, it is unlikely you caught HSV-2 during the recent sexual encounter. Therefore, the time since that encounter is not a strong reason to delay the WB test. However, if you want complete assurance from the WB result, wait until 3-4 months after the exposure.
How long after exposure is the WB test accurate? I would like to see a chart of accuracy vs time. I called U of W clinic and they said 12 weeks to be 90% accurate, but the guy didn't seem to be sure about that. Does anyone even know? Most accuracy studies are done on people with lesions, so they can compare culture results to seriological. Doesn't help with figuring out how long before the antibodies are detected.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
IF you have a new infection, you indeed might be highly infectious. But I think it's unlikely.
Western blot shouldn't difficult to arrange, depending on where you are. In the US, any lab -- certainly Labcorp -- will know how to refer a blood specimen to the University of Washington lab, where WB is normall done.
Western blot shouldn't difficult to arrange, depending on where you are. In the US, any lab -- certainly Labcorp -- will know how to refer a blood specimen to the University of Washington lab, where WB is normall done.
Great answer. The WB is somewhat complex. I'll have to start reading.
But If I am infected, wouldn't I already be contagious?
But If I am infected, wouldn't I already be contagious?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
The news is good: probably you do NOT have HSV-2. The HSV-2 blood tests are not completely reliable, especially when the numerical value is low. Although technically any result of 1.10 or higher is positive, in fact only results of 3.5 or above are reliably positive. Between those numbers, many results are false -- the lower the number, the greater the chance. It is conceivable that you indeed acquired HSV-2 in Guatemala, but probably not, since you haven't had symptoms and the odds of transmission are low for any single exposure.
Those comments reply to question 2. To the others:
1) Don't say anything yet to your wife. Probably you don't have it. But if you still want to start learning more about genital herpes, some good places to start are information provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/std), the American Sexual Health Association (www.ashastd.org), or the Westover Heights Clinic of Portland, OR (www.westoverheights.com).
3) Either Biokit or WB would be accurate right now. The only reason for another Labcorp test would be to see if the HSV-2 value has risen substantially, perhaps indicating a new infection. But as I said, that's unlikely. I recommend you go straight to WB.
Here are a couple of other threads that discuss these issues in more detail.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/593272
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1635711
I hope this has helped. Best wishes--- HHH, MD
The news is good: probably you do NOT have HSV-2. The HSV-2 blood tests are not completely reliable, especially when the numerical value is low. Although technically any result of 1.10 or higher is positive, in fact only results of 3.5 or above are reliably positive. Between those numbers, many results are false -- the lower the number, the greater the chance. It is conceivable that you indeed acquired HSV-2 in Guatemala, but probably not, since you haven't had symptoms and the odds of transmission are low for any single exposure.
Those comments reply to question 2. To the others:
1) Don't say anything yet to your wife. Probably you don't have it. But if you still want to start learning more about genital herpes, some good places to start are information provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/std), the American Sexual Health Association (www.ashastd.org), or the Westover Heights Clinic of Portland, OR (www.westoverheights.com).
3) Either Biokit or WB would be accurate right now. The only reason for another Labcorp test would be to see if the HSV-2 value has risen substantially, perhaps indicating a new infection. But as I said, that's unlikely. I recommend you go straight to WB.
Here are a couple of other threads that discuss these issues in more detail.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/593272
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1635711
I hope this has helped. Best wishes--- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
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.
