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Could my positive be from something else?
About a year ago I had a lesion on my cheek that got misdiagnosed as impetigo bc the culture came back as staph. The medicine didn't work and the doctor decided I had herpes and prescribed me valtrex. I have never had a coldsore in my life and she did not do any more testing. I have no idea which type I had but the valtrex did work and any time the lesion pops up again I take the valtrex and it goes away right away. Just recently I started getting very irritated while having sex with the guy I'm dating and went to the doctor and she said that it was a bacterial infection. I took the medicine and the itching and irritation went away. A few days later I had the same sensation so I went back and they said I had a yeast infection probably from the antibiotics. So I took that medicine and I was fine again. Two days later I have sex again and this time it hurt when I went pee. I thought it was just irritated because we would have sex sometimes for an hour or more. I looked in the mirror and it was very red and inflamed. This was a saturday and went to dr. on monday and the painful urination had subsided. She looked at me and said I had herpes and did a culture. When I called for the results my culture was negative but the blood test came back positive for only type 2. I'm wondering if I ever really had genital herpes because the antibodies could have been from the lesions I got on my face. I also find it hard that in a month of sleeping with me everyday without protection and during an "outbreak" that my guy would be completely fine! So my question is could the positive test results be from my face and all my problems down there just have been from irritation?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
OK, you have HSV-2. That's a rare cause of oral/facial herpes, but it can happen. If HSV-2 explains your cheek lesions, it is likely that you also have genital infection. I have never heard of HSV-2 occurring only on the face/mouth. However, I cannot tell whether or not your genital symptoms were due to herpes or some other kind of irritation.
And it remains possible you have oral HSV-1, and that your HSV-2 infection is genital only. About 10-15% of people with HSV-1 never get positive blood tests.
That your partner is negative for both HSV-1 and 2 is good evidence he is not the source of your HSV-2 infection.
The way to sort out the cause of your recurrent lesions of the face is to not take any valtrex or any other anti-herpes drug, then wait for the next recurrent episode. When it happens, see a health care provider immediately (within 1-2 days) so it can be tested for HSV. If positive, it will prove whether it's HSV-1 or 2.
The same applies to genital irritation. If it recurs, and especially if you notice blsiters/sores, see a provider within a day for testing for HSV.
And it remains possible you have oral HSV-1, and that your HSV-2 infection is genital only. About 10-15% of people with HSV-1 never get positive blood tests.
That your partner is negative for both HSV-1 and 2 is good evidence he is not the source of your HSV-2 infection.
The way to sort out the cause of your recurrent lesions of the face is to not take any valtrex or any other anti-herpes drug, then wait for the next recurrent episode. When it happens, see a health care provider immediately (within 1-2 days) so it can be tested for HSV. If positive, it will prove whether it's HSV-1 or 2.
The same applies to genital irritation. If it recurs, and especially if you notice blsiters/sores, see a provider within a day for testing for HSV.
I don't know what keeps happening It keeps deleting what im typing. type 2 was 5.0 and type 1 was below .90
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Please concentrate and try again. HSV-1 or HSV-2 5.0?
Im sorry I messed that up! the HSV 1 came back as 5.0.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
And what was the HSV-2 blood test result? In your original question you said it was positive. What makes you think the facial lesion is HSV-2? And why do you "obviously" not have HSV-1? That's exactly what the blood test shows (unless there is a typographical error and you meant to write HSV-2 for the blood test result).
I forgot to add that the dr. visit with the yeast infection was a wed. the symptoms were gone by fri. and I had sex fri. night and sat. morning was when it was irritated and burned when I urinated. I went to the dr. again on mon. She told me I must not have had an outbreak on wed. or else that dr. would have seen it. The redness and irritation was gone two days after I was told I had herpes. I just dont see how it could go away that fast!
I had my partner get tested his came back neg for both types and I went to my partner before him and his blood test also came back neg for both types. My blood test is labeled as HSV 1/2 IGG type specific AB. HSV 1 came back as 5.00. Im almost positive the lesion on my face has to be type 2 because it would have shown up on this blood test right? I obviously don't have type 1. Does the higher number mean that it is a new infection? Im obviously distraught about having this but I'm also upset because my boyfriend thinks that I had to have slept with someone else recently since both of them dont have it. These two guys are the only people I have slept with since Oct. I don't understand it and it bothers me that I don't have an explanation to give them.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I see the doctor thought you had genital herpes. I missed that when I first read your question; sorry. That's not proof, but as I read the entire story, I think it's a good bet you have a new genital herpes infection, probably caught from your partner sometime in the past month. Make sure he gets tested for HSV, and let me know the result.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum. I'll try to help.
It took me a while to figure out whether "cheek" means your face or your buttock. But I think you mean face, yes? If so, you can be quite sure it isn't due to HSV-2, which is a rare cause of recurrent oral herpes. If the facial lesions are herpes at all, almost certainly HSV-1 is the cause. But it is quite possible to have both oral/facial HSV-1 and genital herpes due to HSV-2. You might have both.
A positive blood test for HSV-2 is good evidence you have HSV-2, especially in combination with recurrent genital area (including buttock) skin lesions. However, it would be good to know the details of the blood test, i.e. the name of the test and the numerical value. Some apparently positive results are false, especially if the number is low. So please find that information from your doctor or clinic and let me know. And if it included a test for HSV-1, tell me that result as well.
Even if you have recurrent (i.e. longstanding) genital area HSV-2, it is certainly possible for your partner to not catch it after a month of unprotected sex. In monogamous couples in which one person has HSV-2, who have unprotecte sex 2-3 times a week, transmission to the other partner occurs in only 1 in 20 couples per year. However, if you have HSV-2, it could be a new infection, maybe caught it from your partner during he last month. It is very important that your partner have an HSV blood test (for both HSV-1 and 2) if not yet done.
At this point, there isn't enough information to know if your symptoms "down there" are due to herpes or only "irritation". What did the doctor who examined you say? In any case, let me know the details of your blood test, and also have your partner tested. Then may bewe can work this out.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
It took me a while to figure out whether "cheek" means your face or your buttock. But I think you mean face, yes? If so, you can be quite sure it isn't due to HSV-2, which is a rare cause of recurrent oral herpes. If the facial lesions are herpes at all, almost certainly HSV-1 is the cause. But it is quite possible to have both oral/facial HSV-1 and genital herpes due to HSV-2. You might have both.
A positive blood test for HSV-2 is good evidence you have HSV-2, especially in combination with recurrent genital area (including buttock) skin lesions. However, it would be good to know the details of the blood test, i.e. the name of the test and the numerical value. Some apparently positive results are false, especially if the number is low. So please find that information from your doctor or clinic and let me know. And if it included a test for HSV-1, tell me that result as well.
Even if you have recurrent (i.e. longstanding) genital area HSV-2, it is certainly possible for your partner to not catch it after a month of unprotected sex. In monogamous couples in which one person has HSV-2, who have unprotecte sex 2-3 times a week, transmission to the other partner occurs in only 1 in 20 couples per year. However, if you have HSV-2, it could be a new infection, maybe caught it from your partner during he last month. It is very important that your partner have an HSV blood test (for both HSV-1 and 2) if not yet done.
At this point, there isn't enough information to know if your symptoms "down there" are due to herpes or only "irritation". What did the doctor who examined you say? In any case, let me know the details of your blood test, and also have your partner tested. Then may bewe can work this out.
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.
