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Low Positive, High Risk
Dear Doctors (I posted this on the community forum by mistake, don't mean to double post) --
After having found a recurring lesion on my anus (my doctor, who is an STD-focused doc in NYC, said this looked like a fungal infection, not herpes and prescribed ketanozole), I decided to get a herpeselect ELISA test. I don't have anal sex. I tested positive for hsv 1 and 2. My hsv 1 score was above 1, as it always is. I've had two cold sores on my lips in my life, so I know I already have that. Anyway, I have been exhaustively reading your answers about false positives (crossing my fingers, hoping against hope), and I see that my hsv 2 "score" of 2 means I have a 50-50 chance of having HSV 2 upon confirmatory testing.... assuming that I am in a low-risk population.
What is a low risk population?
I think I may be high risk, as I am a black female, aged 34. I have had one sexual partner in the past two years, and two summers ago I tested negative (with numbers below .6) for hsv 2. I haven't had sex with a black man since I was 25, and I've had multiple herpes tests since then. So if I have it, it's new. But I'm still a black female. Does that alone make me high risk? I've kissed guys a lot in the past couple of years, but I generally steer clear of sex.
I will get confirmatory testing, but I'm just trying to figure out if the 50-50 estimate applies to me, or if I should start being miserable now. I have a phobia about this.
After having found a recurring lesion on my anus (my doctor, who is an STD-focused doc in NYC, said this looked like a fungal infection, not herpes and prescribed ketanozole), I decided to get a herpeselect ELISA test. I don't have anal sex. I tested positive for hsv 1 and 2. My hsv 1 score was above 1, as it always is. I've had two cold sores on my lips in my life, so I know I already have that. Anyway, I have been exhaustively reading your answers about false positives (crossing my fingers, hoping against hope), and I see that my hsv 2 "score" of 2 means I have a 50-50 chance of having HSV 2 upon confirmatory testing.... assuming that I am in a low-risk population.
What is a low risk population?
I think I may be high risk, as I am a black female, aged 34. I have had one sexual partner in the past two years, and two summers ago I tested negative (with numbers below .6) for hsv 2. I haven't had sex with a black man since I was 25, and I've had multiple herpes tests since then. So if I have it, it's new. But I'm still a black female. Does that alone make me high risk? I've kissed guys a lot in the past couple of years, but I generally steer clear of sex.
I will get confirmatory testing, but I'm just trying to figure out if the 50-50 estimate applies to me, or if I should start being miserable now. I have a phobia about this.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Although your sexual history does indeed suggest a lower risk of HSV-2 than someone with more sex partners, it doesn't really mean very much. Since the overall rate of HSV-2 is so much higher in African Americans than other population groups in the US, the chance any particular partner is infected is higher. Therefore (and very unfairly), among African Americans, even those with conservative sexual lifestyles are much more likely than people of other race/ethnic groups to become infected.
However, if I understand correctly, you have had two results that were clearly negative, after the earlier positive result. If so, I amend my prediction: you probably don't have it. Previously I thought you had only one negative test result.
The UW lab price for WB used to be $120 or so. Even if it has risen substantially, I doubt it's over $200. Anything beyond that is what the local doctor and/or lab add for specimen collection and shiping. My guess is you could find a lab or physician who would do it for well under $400. And many health insurance policies will pay.
However, if I understand correctly, you have had two results that were clearly negative, after the earlier positive result. If so, I amend my prediction: you probably don't have it. Previously I thought you had only one negative test result.
The UW lab price for WB used to be $120 or so. Even if it has risen substantially, I doubt it's over $200. Anything beyond that is what the local doctor and/or lab add for specimen collection and shiping. My guess is you could find a lab or physician who would do it for well under $400. And many health insurance policies will pay.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. I scanned your discussions on the herpes forum. To be honest, I would have thought you would have had the HSV confirmatory test -- the Western blot -- quite a long time ago.
You are definitely in a high risk population. Around 50% of African Amercian females in your age group (in the US) are HSV-2 positive. You had one HSV-2 result in the strongly positive range; another that was clearly engative; and now you describe a result around 2, which is uncertain. All things considered, it is more likely than not that you are infected with HSV-2. But there seems little value in speculating about it. You can wonder all you want, and you can think all you wish about whether you are in a low risk or high risk category -- but itas to whether or not you are infected with HSV-2, there simply is no way to know until and unless you have the Western blot test.
Feel free to report back with a follow-up comment once the WB is done. Until then, I think you would be wise to assume you have HSV-2, as do at least half of all women like you.
Regards-- HHH, MD
You are definitely in a high risk population. Around 50% of African Amercian females in your age group (in the US) are HSV-2 positive. You had one HSV-2 result in the strongly positive range; another that was clearly engative; and now you describe a result around 2, which is uncertain. All things considered, it is more likely than not that you are infected with HSV-2. But there seems little value in speculating about it. You can wonder all you want, and you can think all you wish about whether you are in a low risk or high risk category -- but itas to whether or not you are infected with HSV-2, there simply is no way to know until and unless you have the Western blot test.
Feel free to report back with a follow-up comment once the WB is done. Until then, I think you would be wise to assume you have HSV-2, as do at least half of all women like you.
Regards-- HHH, MD
The positive tests you are referring to from an earlier test were from about two years ago. My doctor retested me, and I got another negative score (under .5), so he told me I wasn't infected. He said that since my positive test came from one of those online testing places, I should trust his judgment and testing instead and that there was probably a mistake in recordkeeping or something.
This is a whole new scare. I'm not out there having unprotected sex--I've only had one partner in the past two years--I just lose my mind occasionally whenever something suspicious happens down there.
But you're right. I just need to get tested again, I suppose. Western Blot out here in NY according to my doc is about $400. It might be a while before I can get that together. Will post when I get that result, since my last possible exposure was about 1.5 months ago.
This is a whole new scare. I'm not out there having unprotected sex--I've only had one partner in the past two years--I just lose my mind occasionally whenever something suspicious happens down there.
But you're right. I just need to get tested again, I suppose. Western Blot out here in NY according to my doc is about $400. It might be a while before I can get that together. Will post when I get that result, since my last possible exposure was about 1.5 months ago.
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.
