What does my results mean

[stressed720]

Hi,

I was tested on 3/11 for HSV 1, 2, and HSV Igm.  my HSV-1 6.01, HSV-2 .47, and HSV Igm Positive.  My doctor told me that I was recently exposed to HSV.

Just a week prior I had protect sex but the condom broke.  After it happen, I stopped immediately and told him to get tested to make put my mind at ease about the whole thing.  All of the other test (HIV, Chlamydia, gono, and hepatitis came back negative). However, the HSV 2 came back 1.23.  

Since my Igm test came back positive does that mean that I now have HSV2?  What does the number range represent?

Thank you so much.....Im really freaking out.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  I'll try to help but some of your post is a bit hard to follow.

It is not clear to me why you had tests performed for HSV.  We do not typically recommend these tests as part of routine STD screening because, in the absence of lesions or a history suggestive of herpes, the results are often misleading.  

Your tests from the testing performed on 3/11 indicate that you have HSV-1, the virus that causes cold sores as well as some cases of genital herpes.  Over 69% of adults have HSV-1, even if they are unaware of previous cold sores.  Your HSV-2 IgG test is negative indicating that you do not have evidence of HSV-2.  I would ignore your IgM test result.  IgM tests for herpes gave many false positive test results and are not clinically useful.  That your IgM test is positive does not mean that you have HSV-2 but could be a falsely positive result related to your positive test for HSV-1.

It also appears that a week before your testing on 3/11 you had another HSV blood test which was positive at a level of 1.23.  The fact that your next test was negative a week later and that you have a positive test for HSV-1 is most suggestive that this result which was reported in the "low positive range" (1.23) suggest that this result was falsely positive,

I hope these comments help.  EWH

[stressed720]

Thanks for all of your advice and insight on both subjects.  I know your time is valuable, and for that, the reason to your abrupt “Time for this thread to end”.  I didn’t have anyone else to turn to or anyone to answer the questions that I posted.  I’m highly stressed and alone in my troubled time right now. So I offer my apology for asking too many questions.  

Thanks again. Take care.  

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Your research is wrong.  Blood tests for HIV are definitive at 8 weeks.   Three months is not needed.  The number of persons with negative HIV tests who have the infection is quite small but they could infect sexual partners is this is the case.

Time for this thread to end.  Tak care.  EWH

[stressed720]

Thanks a million.

based on my research it could take as long as 3 months for HIV to show up in the body. So if a person was infected but it has yet to show on a test (they're test was non-reactive) could they still infect infect someone?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The index number reflects the chemistry of the test. As I said, it does not tell you ANYTHING other than whether or not antibodies to HSV are present.  

There are many causes of false positves and some occur simply by chance.  As I said above, sometimes people have false positves because antibodies to another infection (like HSV-1 or chicken pox) cross react in the test.  EWH

[stressed720]

Thank you for the insight. In all of my reading I couldn't find information on what the index number meant.  Someone told me the higher the number the longer HSV has been present that's one of my reasons for wanting clarity.  

Correct me if I'm wrong, you are saying that this is no explanation or theory behind the index  number except positive or negative?

What produces a false positive?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The magnitude of the number is in no way related to how long the infection has been present.  A positive antibody test cannot tell you how long you have been infected, nor is it an indicator of the severity of the infection.  The test result is qualitative, either it is positive, indicating the presence of infection, or negative, with the exception of false positive results as indicated above.  EWH.  

[stressed720]

Thank you so much! this really make me feel a lot better.

Could you please tell me what does the index number indicate and how high can they go? For example.....

HSV-1 = 6.01

Does it mean the higher the number the longer HSV has been in your system?

or

Does the numbers indicate the severity of HSV in your system?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Thanks for the clarification.  Several comments:

1.  Your current numbers.  As I said above, these results indicate the you have HSV-1 but not HSV-2.  I would ignore the IgM results.  On occasion they indicate recently acquired infection but more often they are falsely positve an misleading.

2.  Your partner's results indicate that he does not have HSV-1 and his HSV-2 result is at a level where 80% of "positve results" are falsely positive, meaning that he does not really have HSV.  If he does not have HSV-2, he could not have given it to you.

3.  Even if he has HSV-2, your risk is low.  Less than 1% of exposures to HSV-2 infected partners lead to infection.  

Thus it is unlikely that your partner has HSV-2 and if he does, unlikely that he gave it to you. Your IgM result is probably falsely positive because you have HSV-1.  Not everyone has to wait 12 weeks to get reliable test results.  You can re-test in 3-4 weeks.  If your IgM really indicated recently acquired infection, your IgG will be positive at that time.  I will bet that it will not be positive however.  EWH

[stressed720]

sorry for the typo.

I meant to say:

I know I have to wait at least 12 weeks to get an accurate igg test. But i was told by a person who has HSV, that my numbers will increase over time since 1) the condom broke, 2) he has it, and 3) my igm test was positive.  Is this true?

[stressed720]

Thank you. I'm sorry for the confusion.  I had protected sex but the condom broke a week before the test. I only tested once. I asked my partner to test as well.  my results are:

HSV-1 = 6.01
HSV-2 = .47
HSV IGM= positive.

My partners results are as follows:

HSV-1 = <.90
HSV-2 = 1.23

My other question is:

Since his results for HSV-2 is 1.23, does that mean that I will have HSV-2 since my igm test came back positive?

I know I have to wait at least 12 weeks to get an accurate igg test. But i was told by a person who has it that I has HSV and my numbers will increase over time since 1) the condom broke, 2) he has it, and 3) my igm test was positive.  Is this true?

In her case, she found out she had HSV2 when she had an outbreak.  When she tested she was negative for 1 & 2 but her Igm was positive.  Now her HSV2 is 11 and her igm is negative.

I so worried because it appears that our situations are similar.