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STDs (Expert Forum)
one test positive one test negative?????
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
Welcome to the STD Forum, which is intended only for questions and support pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV/AIDS, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus, genital warts, trichomonas, other vaginal infections, nongonoccal urethritis (NGU), cervicitis, molluscum contagiosum, chancroid, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.
one test positive one test negative?????
by mistaorange, Jan 09, 2006 12:00AM
First I would like to say thank you for this great forum. I've done lot's of reading on here and have found it extreemely informative.
Now on to my question...
3 months ago I went to see my doctor as I had a very small red bump in my groin area (just off the base of my penis). The bump caused me no discomfort but due to the area of the bump I thought it best to find out if there was some sort of issue.
My doctor informed me that it was likely just an ingrown hair and with no other symptoms I was probably fine but he wanted to do a herpes culture to be on the safe side.
The culture test results came back and they were positve for HSV.
On a recent follow up visit I asked to have a blood test to verify which HSV (1 or 2)I had contracted. I received the test results in the mail and they are negative for HSV.
How is this possible? I've left several messages for my doctor and I finally got a call back from his nurse. She just told my "it's possible because the blood test measures the antibodies"
What does this mean? Do I have HSV?
Any direction with this would be greatly appreciated. I have had no other symptoms either before or after but I also realize that doesn't mean much.
Now on to my question...
3 months ago I went to see my doctor as I had a very small red bump in my groin area (just off the base of my penis). The bump caused me no discomfort but due to the area of the bump I thought it best to find out if there was some sort of issue.
My doctor informed me that it was likely just an ingrown hair and with no other symptoms I was probably fine but he wanted to do a herpes culture to be on the safe side.
The culture test results came back and they were positve for HSV.
On a recent follow up visit I asked to have a blood test to verify which HSV (1 or 2)I had contracted. I received the test results in the mail and they are negative for HSV.
How is this possible? I've left several messages for my doctor and I finally got a call back from his nurse. She just told my "it's possible because the blood test measures the antibodies"
What does this mean? Do I have HSV?
Any direction with this would be greatly appreciated. I have had no other symptoms either before or after but I also realize that doesn't mean much.
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Jan 09, 2006 12:00AM
, Jan 09, 2006 12:00AM
Basically there are 3 possibilities.
1) If the herpes culture result is accurate, the most likely explanation is that you acquired genital herpes within the a few weeks before the lesion was tested and not enough time had passed to develop a positive blood test. The blood tests to measure HSV antibody take 4-12 weeks to become positive.
2) A few people with HSV never develop a positive blood test. It is rare.
3) As implied above, the culture test might be wrong. Herpes culture is pretty easy to do well, but mistakes are possible, especially by less experienced laboratories.
What to do? Some labs retain samples for a long time, so I suggest you contact the lab and find out if they still have leftover specimen or the virus isolate itself, and to consider retesting (at no cost). Second, more information about your STD risk would help sort things out. For example, if you have not been sexually active recently, then option 1 would be less likely. Third, and perhaps most important, wait a few weeks and have a repeat blood test. If it still is negative for both HSV types, have your provider send it for confirmatory testing by a reference lab, such as a Western blot test.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
1) If the herpes culture result is accurate, the most likely explanation is that you acquired genital herpes within the a few weeks before the lesion was tested and not enough time had passed to develop a positive blood test. The blood tests to measure HSV antibody take 4-12 weeks to become positive.
2) A few people with HSV never develop a positive blood test. It is rare.
3) As implied above, the culture test might be wrong. Herpes culture is pretty easy to do well, but mistakes are possible, especially by less experienced laboratories.
What to do? Some labs retain samples for a long time, so I suggest you contact the lab and find out if they still have leftover specimen or the virus isolate itself, and to consider retesting (at no cost). Second, more information about your STD risk would help sort things out. For example, if you have not been sexually active recently, then option 1 would be less likely. Third, and perhaps most important, wait a few weeks and have a repeat blood test. If it still is negative for both HSV types, have your provider send it for confirmatory testing by a reference lab, such as a Western blot test.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
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Thank you!
This message board has been a blessing, I can vent, ask questions and most importantly. We are NOT alone :)
I anxiously await answers to your questions!!! (I want to know too!!!!)
The only thing I've reeally gotten consistent answers about is that once you've been "infected" by herpes, you have an outbreak within 2-10 days of being exposed.......and......as for me, I've NEVER had an outbreak with sores and those types of things.
I asked SO many questions to my OBGYN nurse - and of course, "well, we just aren't sure" - a little frustrating, esp with no symptoms. I wonder if I've had HSV1 since I was a kid or something because my mother had cold sores around her mouth A LOT.....so I wonder that too......since my blood test checked for both 1 and 2.