Herpes test results question

[twogirls2]

I recently got my blood tested for herpers and the result were as follows:

HSV, IgM I/II combination   1.14H  ratio  0.00 - 0.90
                Negative  1.09

HSV 2 IgG, Type Spec       1.74H  index 0.00 - 0.90
                 Negative  1.09

I understand that the test results is positive for both HSV 1 and 2 however I have not had any outbreaks. Although the reading states positive what exactly does those numbers represent? I know I am over the 0.90 upper boundry that puts me in the positive range however I have no clue what the ranges are. Based on reading posts in the herpes forum it seems low and there are chances of false positives. Should I retake this test?  If so, how long should I wait to take the next test - The initial test was taken in mid August. If not, should I request to be put on medication at this point or should I wait until my first outbreak.  Should I be concerned about my kids drinking from my glass or shearing hand towels etc.

Just as a note. I am seperated from my husband of 14 years. I must admit that we had a rough start and I did have an affair 3 years into the marriage. Those are the only two partners I've had in the past 15 years.  I have never been tested before therefore I do not know how long I have been positive and I read that there is a possibility that I could have been positive for years. Does the % increase as time passes by or it increases due to being further exposed?

Any information you can provide me with to help my confusion will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Confused and concerned

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The topic of herpes is a complex one.  The disease is common with HSV-1 being present in over 60% of adults and HSV-2 (the virus which causes most genital herpes) being present in about 1 in 5 Americans.  For both infections, the majority of people who have the infections are not aware that they are infected, either because they either acquired it without knowing in the past or because they misidentified their herpes as something else.  I will do my best to answer your questions but in general, many of these questions and information about herpes can be obtained by accessing excellent informational web sites such as the one run by the American Social Health Association (disclosure, Dr. Handsfield and I are both on the Board of Directors of ASHA).

Please realize that Herpes blood test results must be taken in context.  By that I mean that there are tests that work well and tests that do not.  In addition, all blood tests have both false positive and false negative results from time to time (the goal is to minimize this and know when it is likely, that is a large part of my job).   Among the tests that do not work well are IgM tests.  They are very prone to false positive results and do not give reliable information.  Thus I would urge you to ignore your IgM test results.

As for the type specific tests, the results you mention seem to be the results of HerpeSelect testing.  I do not see results for HSV-1, just for HSV-2.  and your results are in the "low positive" range where many (75% or more) results are false positive, particularly if you have antibodies to HSV-1.   True positive results are more often above 3.0.  Thus, in looking at your results, you may not have had HSV at all.  I do not know why you got tested but if you have not had outbreaks, given the history that you have supplied, I tend to doubt that you have HSV-2.  At this time, with these results you can either forget about the tests and move on or, alternatively, ask your doctor to either retest you with a Biokit HSV-2 test or Western blot.  If you get one of these and it is negative, you do not have herpes and need not worry.  Personally, I would probably do the former.

I have not heard any reason for you to seek therapy at this time and you do not need to worry about the kids.  Hope this helps.  Check out the web site.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Thank You.  Take Care.  EWH

[twogirls2]

Thanks for the prompt response. I have been struggling with this for over a month now and your response has help relieve the stress. As you are quit aware this is a very difficult topic to discuss even with your doctor not to mention family and friends which is precisely why we turn to forums like these.  Being blessed with good health thus far I was not aware that there were such health forums that provide discussions with professionals like yourself that are subject matter experts. This is a great site and I am going to visit reqularly for other health related infromation. I am also going to recommend this site to family and friends.

To answer your question about why I got tested initially, my husband and I separated due to infidelity on his behalf therefore I was concerned that I may have contracted a STD from him. Also, I wanted to know prior to entering a new relationship what my staus is.

Thanks for providing additional reference.