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Test Results ????

I just got my results a few days ago for Herpes 1 and 2. My score from the blood tests say 0.90 on Herpes 1 and I received a 1.04 in 2. I understand that one is clear to be negative but the results for two have me worried. It just says equivocal, to test again. My partner's test came back negative for both 1 and 2. Also I had taken a 300mg of Clindamycin a few days prior to my blood test. This has me worried. What does the test results mean when it comes up equivocal? Could the Clindamycin mess with my results? And why do test come out equivocal?
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your result is definitely negative for HSV-1, and almost certainly you don't have HSV-2 either.  As you apparently know, HSV-2 results 0.9 - 1.1 are technically equivocal, meaning no conclusion can be drawn.  However, since the manufacturer developed that recommendation and secured regulatory approval to interpret the results that way, extensive research has shown that almost no results below about 1.5 are truly positive.  No medicine is known to alter the test results; clindamycin certainly does not do so.  The biological reasons for equivocal results are not known.

If it were me, knowing what I know, I would just interpret the result as negative, especially if I had no symptoms of genital herpes or other reason to be highly suspicious I was infected.  But if you want to pursue it further, the first step should be to repeat the same test; most likely the result will be clearly negative (below 0.9) and the issue will be resolved.  If a repeat test continues in the borderline range, you could then have either a BiokitUSA HSV-2 test, or a Western blot test (expensive).

For more information about all this, take a look at this thread from a couple of months ago:  http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/593272.

I hope this helps. Best wishes--  HHH, MD
Helpful - 1
239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
If it were me, I would just repeat the original test; or have the BiokitUSA test.  A negative result on either of those would be just as reliable as WB and a lot cheaper.  It is likely that WB won't be covered by your health insurance.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks Doc... And just to add I have never had any kind of out break ever. But I will get a new test done with western blot in a few weeks. At least I know I'll get what I paid for.

Thank You
Helpful - 0

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