Negative Igg results after 10 weeks

[sleeplessInMiami]

I am 32 year male and have had just my wife as sex pertner. But around 2.5 months ago I allowed myself to get an erotic massage. Provider gave me a handjob and I touched her touched her vagina for 10-15 seconds. After this I got worried about getting STD ,especially herpes. I got HIV and Syphillis test after 4 weeks which came out negative. After 10 weeks I got herpes Igm and Igg test. Igm came out positive however Igg test is negative. I am very worried about Herpes because of positive Igm result. What are my chances of having herpes based on negative Igg and positve Igm test after 10 weeks? Just I repeat Igg test? If yes, when? Thanks in advance for the response.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You can relax.  STDs are never transmitted by hand-to-genital contact.  That's never as in zero, no way, nada, nichevo.  You didn't need STD testing at all; had you come to my office, I would have recommended against it.

See many other threads on this forum about the unreliability of HSV IgM testing (search the threads for HerpeSelect, herpes diagnosis, and/or herpes IgM test).  You can rely 100% on the IgG results.  Even if itt were positive or becomes positive in the future, I would conclude that wherever you got it, it wasn't from the erotic massage you describe.

Good luck-- HHH, MD

[binky2005]

My friend, relax. The incident you describe carries virtually no risk of herpes transmission and you really didn't need to get tested at all, based on your exposure. Have you had any signs of anything in the last ten weeks? You've described none.

In terms of the positive Igm result, it is worthless and means nothing. Dr. H has made this point numerous times, if you search the threads.  Igm tests should not even be used and it borders on malpractice that your doctor sent you home worrying about having genital herpes (I assume you are worried about genital herpes) b/c of a "positive" Igm result.

At ten weeks, the Igg result is all that matters, and assuming you took a reliable test, you are very much in the clear because that test would have picked up any infection from earlier in life and, as I said, there is virtually no risk of herpes transmission from the incident you describe. You're fine.

Also, you don't have HIV or any other STD from the incident you describe.

[Imdumb]

There is no way you got herpes from the event you descibe. If you have HSV-1 you probably have had it since you were a kid. The doc will tell you that any herpes test other than Herpes select is worthless.