HSV1 false positive

[park101]

Dear Doctor,
I am a 37 yo female and recently I started a new relationship and did  LABSAFE std panel.  I tested positive for HSV1 with a level of 1.7.  All other tests were negative.  I have never had a cold sore in my entire life orally or genitally.  I know it is silly to be concerned since I tested negative for HSV2, but I am devastated.  I am pretty sure that the guy I am seeing will consider this a deal breaker.  I don

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You're "devastated" because you have been infected with HSV-1?  Should the other 50% of the population with the infection also feel devastated?  I'm HSV-1 positive and it means nothing to me (and meant nothing to me back in my inter-marriage dating days, when I first tested myself).  As you suggest yourself, your self-assessment of feeling silly to be concerned is the more reasonable reaction.  Most likely you acquired HSV-1 orally in childhood.  If you haven't had cold sores up until now, the odds are it well never cause a problem for you and never will be transmitted to another person, sexually or otherwise.

1, 2) There isn't much research on false positive HSV-1 results.  I suppose it can happen, and a Western blot would indeed confirm whether or not you really have HSV-1 antibody. As I suggested above, it doesn't matter and doesn't seem to be worth the time, energy, and money to find out--but the choice is yours.  But don't get your hopes up; you can be almost certain it will confirm what you already know.

3, 4)  Neither dehydration nor blood donation would affect the test results.

Bottom line:  Relax, you're normal.  Good luck--  HHH, MD

[t1234]

What did Labsafe tell you about this?

What made you think an antibody test for HSV1 had any value
in determining Genital Herpes infection???

Interested to know

Thanks