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Positive Culture, Negative Blood Test x2
Confused after Results:
Oct 28th Unprotected intercourse in community hot tub new female partner.
Nov 2nd Unprotected intercourse with current female partner of 5 years in comunity hot tub.
Nov 3rd 10 small water looking blister in groin area(none on penis), pain down leg but no tingling or itching or burning.
Nov 4th Went to Planned Parenthood and they did a culture, That came back positive for HSV 2 because it was typed" Valtrex started 500 mg daily.
Jan 10th Planned Parenthood Negative IGG less than 0.91
Feb 19th Negative IGG at University of Michigan
Feb 21st One small blister that lasted 24 hours (shaved a few days prior)
Primary Care Doctor states that it sometimes Never shows up in blood test. And once you have a positive culture You have HSV 2 that the viral load is too low to detect in bloodwork. Is there any further testing you reccomend to make sure i have HSV- 2 ??? Do you think the Western Blot would help clear up my diagnosis?
Justme722, Michigan
Oct 28th Unprotected intercourse in community hot tub new female partner.
Nov 2nd Unprotected intercourse with current female partner of 5 years in comunity hot tub.
Nov 3rd 10 small water looking blister in groin area(none on penis), pain down leg but no tingling or itching or burning.
Nov 4th Went to Planned Parenthood and they did a culture, That came back positive for HSV 2 because it was typed" Valtrex started 500 mg daily.
Jan 10th Planned Parenthood Negative IGG less than 0.91
Feb 19th Negative IGG at University of Michigan
Feb 21st One small blister that lasted 24 hours (shaved a few days prior)
Primary Care Doctor states that it sometimes Never shows up in blood test. And once you have a positive culture You have HSV 2 that the viral load is too low to detect in bloodwork. Is there any further testing you reccomend to make sure i have HSV- 2 ??? Do you think the Western Blot would help clear up my diagnosis?
Justme722, Michigan
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It is unlikely that a competent laboratory would misread HSV-1 for HSV-2, but it could happen. What was your HSV-1 blood test result? If that's positive, it is plausible you caught genital HSV-1 from your fiance, through oral sex. In that case, you might ask your doctor (or the Planned Parenthood clinic) to contact the lab and see what they say about the possibility of misinterpreting the original culture (or PCR) as HSV-1 as HSV-2.
Your partner's concern about catching your presumed HSV-2 infection (which still the the most likely scenario) is valid. She probably isn't any more susceptible to infection than anyone else, but if she is on immunusuppressive therapy for her lupus, it might increase the risk of more frequent or severe outbreaks. So this could be a problem if you were to withhold valtrex as discussed above. Still, if you and she can commit to consistent condom use for a few months, and avoid sex if and when you have another apparent outbreak, the chance of transmission will be low -- but not zero.
HSV is not acquired through contaminated hot tubs, towels, shared clothing, etc. You caught your infection sexually -- if HSV-2, from your hot tub partner, if HSV-1 more likely from your fiance. But don't waste any mental energy to come up with a nonsexual explanation.
Going back to your partner and the risk of HSV-2: Even with her lupus and possible immunosuppressive treatment, she shouldn't be too worried about herpes. Treatment is very effective, if she catches HSV-2; since she'll be on alert for the first symptoms, she can be treated promptly, and like you, she can then take suppressive therapy if she has frequent or painful recurrent outbreaks. But most people don't. While I don't want to minimize the potential risks, it probably wouldn't be such a big deal. Research shows that the main reason people fear genital herpes is the problem of potential transmission to new partners, informing partners they are dating, etc. These concerns are irrelevant to a monogamous relationship in which both partners are infected. You and she might make an appointment with the doctor who manages her lupus to discuss all this. I'll bet s/he will give similar reassurance.
In other words, don't let herpes interfere with your relationship and mutually rewarding sex. It's only an impersonal little bit of DNA that happens to exploit human intimacy for its own propagation. Don't give it more respect than it deserves.
Finally, you and your partner might benefit from participating on MedHelp's herpes community forum, where the moderators are highly experienced herpes counselors; and where other users might also have advice for you.
Your partner's concern about catching your presumed HSV-2 infection (which still the the most likely scenario) is valid. She probably isn't any more susceptible to infection than anyone else, but if she is on immunusuppressive therapy for her lupus, it might increase the risk of more frequent or severe outbreaks. So this could be a problem if you were to withhold valtrex as discussed above. Still, if you and she can commit to consistent condom use for a few months, and avoid sex if and when you have another apparent outbreak, the chance of transmission will be low -- but not zero.
HSV is not acquired through contaminated hot tubs, towels, shared clothing, etc. You caught your infection sexually -- if HSV-2, from your hot tub partner, if HSV-1 more likely from your fiance. But don't waste any mental energy to come up with a nonsexual explanation.
Going back to your partner and the risk of HSV-2: Even with her lupus and possible immunosuppressive treatment, she shouldn't be too worried about herpes. Treatment is very effective, if she catches HSV-2; since she'll be on alert for the first symptoms, she can be treated promptly, and like you, she can then take suppressive therapy if she has frequent or painful recurrent outbreaks. But most people don't. While I don't want to minimize the potential risks, it probably wouldn't be such a big deal. Research shows that the main reason people fear genital herpes is the problem of potential transmission to new partners, informing partners they are dating, etc. These concerns are irrelevant to a monogamous relationship in which both partners are infected. You and she might make an appointment with the doctor who manages her lupus to discuss all this. I'll bet s/he will give similar reassurance.
In other words, don't let herpes interfere with your relationship and mutually rewarding sex. It's only an impersonal little bit of DNA that happens to exploit human intimacy for its own propagation. Don't give it more respect than it deserves.
Finally, you and your partner might benefit from participating on MedHelp's herpes community forum, where the moderators are highly experienced herpes counselors; and where other users might also have advice for you.
Thanks for your quick response. My partner of 5 years has been tested for IGG HSV 2 twice and negative via blood test both times, She tested Positive for HSV-1, Also she gets annual exams which are all negative no signs or symptoms of sores or blisters. My fiance also has Lupus and her immune system is low so her HSV -1 presents often, , We have used condoms ever since the blisters occured. She is very concerned about viral shedding.
Could the blisters be HSV-1 from Oral Sex?? Could the Culture Misread Type 1 vs 2 ? , Could people get HSV from hot tubs or was it from the one unprotected sex incident?
Planned Parenthood said there are no false positive cultures?
Thanks
Could the blisters be HSV-1 from Oral Sex?? Could the Culture Misread Type 1 vs 2 ? , Could people get HSV from hot tubs or was it from the one unprotected sex incident?
Planned Parenthood said there are no false positive cultures?
Thanks
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.
A positive culture test for HSV is definitive, so I won't sugar-coat it: you have genital herpes due to HSV-2. Your doctor is correct that some people never develop positive blood tests. This occurs more frequently in people taking suppressive treatment with Valtrex or other anti-herpes drugs.
Since you are not having frequent recurrent outbreaks, the best way to sort this out is to stop taking the Valtrex, wait 3-4 months, then have another routine blood test. Most likely it will become positive. But even if not, there is no need for other testing, including Western blot. WB is very good at confirming a positive test, but it usually doesn't help when the standard blood tests are negative. Because of the positive culture, even a negative WB would not mean anything.
While off Valtrex, you might have additional genital herpes outbreaks. The single "small blister" in a shaved area probably wasn't herpes. If that happens, you can visit a doctor or clinic within a day or two for a repeat culture test, if you feel the need for further confirmation of the diagnosis.
Has your current partner been tested for HSV-2? Result?
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
A positive culture test for HSV is definitive, so I won't sugar-coat it: you have genital herpes due to HSV-2. Your doctor is correct that some people never develop positive blood tests. This occurs more frequently in people taking suppressive treatment with Valtrex or other anti-herpes drugs.
Since you are not having frequent recurrent outbreaks, the best way to sort this out is to stop taking the Valtrex, wait 3-4 months, then have another routine blood test. Most likely it will become positive. But even if not, there is no need for other testing, including Western blot. WB is very good at confirming a positive test, but it usually doesn't help when the standard blood tests are negative. Because of the positive culture, even a negative WB would not mean anything.
While off Valtrex, you might have additional genital herpes outbreaks. The single "small blister" in a shaved area probably wasn't herpes. If that happens, you can visit a doctor or clinic within a day or two for a repeat culture test, if you feel the need for further confirmation of the diagnosis.
Has your current partner been tested for HSV-2? Result?
I hope this helps. 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.
