dormancy

[hp2207]

this is driving me crazy trying to figure this out. 6 weeks ago i had a bump topof scrotum in pubic region .the next day  groin pain accompanied with lower back pain and a tingle in my hip all, after the bump was present. the feeling was weird  i did a search on the internet. Herpes came back I freaked. I read you may not know it for years. I have been with my wife faithfully for 8 years, but is has been rumored in the past that an ex of mine had herpes, where as she gave me some type on my neck whether it was one or 2 idk, but it has not come back since and I have never had any outbreak on my penis or groin area. Went to the urgent care and he said it wasn’t herpes prob. folliculitus, so he put me on aug.  for 10 days. i wanted re assurance so i went and got tested. Test results labcorp were hsv1 igg typespecific 6.4 high- igm negative- hsv2 typespecific  igg 2.2 high-igm negative. i then went to an id dr. looked at my bump and it was prob a cyst or folliculitus because that time i had popped it on  my own looking for and ingrown. He said the tests were old and sent me for new testing labcorp herpeselect hsv1 igg 7.3 and hsv2 igg 2.5. i then began to get nervous for my wife so she got tested. labcorp hepeselect both hsv1&2 both  neg for my wife. Again i never had an outbreak in my groin area and haven’t had any in my mouth in 15 years, since i was a kid. i am so confused and don’t know what to do. we had spoken and we have a very open marriage and she is very supportive with everything. my questions are as far as igg levels go do they increase and decrease at any time. there was a small fluctuation with my hsv2 and that was in a 10 day testing window. does that mean anything at all.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Biological tests fluctuate in normal people on a day-to-day basis.  Part of this is simply human physiology and part represents day-to-day variation in test performance.  modest, non-significant fluctuations are the norm, not an exception.  EWH

[hp2207]

could you shed some light on the fluctuation of my antbody levels. i have been on igf  therapy one weeks before the tests could this have any effect on results.
thanks

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Not sure why you posted again for Dr. Handsfield- he will not answer.  He and i do not answer each other's posts and, fyi, in the over 25 years ago, we have not disagreed in our medical opinions.

As for the issue of what if your wife gets infected and can you make things worse or infect each other at other sites- the answer is no. Once you have it, the disease recurs at or close to the original site.  This is the case both in terms of symptomatic recurrences and asymptomatic shedding.  There is no risk to either of you once you both are infected.

Finally, reading your post, I want to point out that the lesion you say in your public area was still probably folliculitis and that the fact that you have herpes is a reflection of a previously acquired infection but unlikely to be related to your folliculitis.  It's a matter of true/true- unrelated.  EWH

[joe958]

dear docter im reposting again i was joe743 , im reposting again cuz could not figure out how to post again well the story was got oral sex from a striper and was scared on contracting std's and i went and got a full panel work which you guys assured me i was at low risk surprise surprise you guys were right i came back negative for everyting except for hsv2 i was positive for that but i do not think i got it from the striper becaue i was reading on the symtoms and it seems like i had similar symtoms in the past but were so mild that i thought nothing of it. so my last question is i took the pcr test like 8 to 9 days after the oral sex episod and the results were negative but im wondering if i should retest my self now knowing im hsv2 positive because i read im at higher risk are my test results acurrate if i took it at that time frame remember im hsv2 positive which i think i had , but everything else came back negative

[hp2207]

DR. I appreciate all of your knowlage and help. i know that there is a good chance that my wife will get hsv2 sooner or later. the next question that i have for you is if she gets hsv2, obviously no sex during outbreaks, but when we have no outbreaks and we could possibly be shedding and could we make the outbreaks worse if we have un protected sex. for example if the bump i had was indeed herpes in my pubic region top of my scrotum, if my wife is shedding during unprotected sex could the herpes then appear on my penis or other areas or will it only return in the origional infection area.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You have good doctors.  they have done the right tests and given you the right information.  You may well have both HSV-1 and 2 and thus, your wife has been fortunate not to be infected as yet, despite 8 years of unprotected intercourse.  Your question really comes down to the issue of how likely is it for you to transmit to her in the future.  No one can give you a perfect answer to this question but let me give you some facts that you and your wife can consider:
1.  My reading of your lab tests is that it is likely that you have HSV-2. You can have a confirmatory test done but my guess is that you have HSV-2.
2.  Since you may have HSV-2, you are most likely to have acquired it sometime in the distant past.  Since then, current research suggests that from time to time (perhaps as much as 10% of the time) you have asymptomatic shedding of small amounts of herpes virus, even in the absence of lesions.
3.  Based on the above, your wife has almost certainly been exposed however, not every exposure results in transmission.  This does not mean that a future transmission could not occur.  I regularly see patients engaged in long term, monogamous relations who do not transmit their infections until a period of years has passed.
4.  There are multiple options to reduce your risk of transmission know that you are  armed with the knowledge that you have infection- condoms and chronic suppressive therapy being the best (it goes without saying that if you note lesions, you should not have sex).
5.  Fluctuations in the HerpeSelect readings are day to day variation and of no consequence.

Finally, you may want to learn more.  There is excellent one on one advice available through the American social health Association hotline (check there web site) as well as through a book they have called "Living with Herpes" by Charlie Ebel.

Hope this helps.  EWH

[hp2207]

both my doctors shrug it off and tell me not to worry that i am lucky that i haven’t infected my wife yet. but i love my wife more that anything and do not want this for her. i now been trying to educate myself and searching the internet for help this is all new . Last week i just got sick had 103 fever for a couple of hours and he put me z pack.  within 5 days my tongue was white and i got nervous.(6 weeks prior I was showing one of the properties i own in noted drug area. there was a garbage bag on the floor i picked it up and threw it and cut my hand on something. there were a couple of baggies around and a bent spoon on the ground. i didn’t think much of it until i got sick.)  went to my gp and went over everything with him that has happened this past month. he tested me for hsv1&2 again hiv and hep. Just recently got new tests back .6 weeks hiv1&2 neg.all hep neg .hsv1- igg specific 6.98.hsv2-igg specific 3.53 am i still in the doubt range ?The hsv2 is what puzzles me. How after 8 years of unprotected sex with my wife she did not get infected. I am not complaining I am happy but what do I do? I thank you for everything and this board has been a great help to me so I appreciate all your advice.