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test came back negative for herpes what could it be then ?

i went to the doctor two months ago becuase i had a pretty nasty rash and he ended up telling me he thought it was herpes i got a blood test for hsv 1 and 2 and they came back negative my question what could it be is it a fungus or another std im just glad i dont have herpes
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Avatar universal
sorry my typing is **** lol
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Avatar universal
first im going to responde to sacred straight since i had the symptoms over a year wouldnt that mean i would have more of a chance to come up postive  and the rash or sore because it does crust up in to hard shell than flakes but not like a scab it is clear  and heals  never got on my penis it just stayed on the lower section of my testicles either way not even close as bad as it once was
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Avatar universal
what are your symptoms besides the rash?
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Avatar universal
Most of the info can be found on the websites AJ mentioned. You can also look on the internet for a study called "Time Course of Seroconversion by HerpeSelect ELISA After Acquisition of Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) or HSV-2".

Some statistics relevant to you from that article can be found on the last page.

If a person recently acquired an HSV1 primary infection, i.e. they have HSV1 but NOT HSV2, the percentage that will show up on a HerpesSelect test are:

62% after 6 weeks
73% after 3 months
78% after 6 months

If a person recently acquired an HSV2 primary infection, i.e. they have HSV2 but NOT HSV1, the percentage that will show up on a HerpesSelect test are:

77% after 6 weeks
93% after 3 months
93% after 6 months

These statistics are for people the had symptoms. The timing is based upon the first appearance of those symptoms.

Here is how I would read this information:

1. Have you had a rash or other skin symptoms that make you suspect herpes? If not, then further testing may not make sense. Consult your doctor.
2. If (a) you have had a rash and/or (b) your last partner(s) had herpes then testing at three to four months makes sense.
3. Once you get past three to four months, you should have a very good reason to pursue testing, e.g. reoccurring rash, definite exposure to someone with herpes, etc.

Nerve pain can be many things including a health condition, current/previous infection, stress or anxiety. You should see a doctor. They may ask you to do various blood tests and a series of MRIs. This can get very expensive. Just be prepared for them to come back and say, "I am not sure why you have nerve pain. It could have been an allergy, bacteria, virus, fungus, heredity, or anxiety. All we can do is treat the pain and wait for it to go away."
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Avatar universal
and ps i have always had protected sex never not once did i not a use condom but still did have sex  with this one questionable girl but either way life goes on not that big of a deal
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Avatar universal
heres the thing i had the syptoms for a year before i got my blood tested and i was quite sure i had herpes so im already over the fact that i might have it but for some weird reason i just dont think i have it,there are no symptoms really either it dosent itch or burn and dosent hurt to urinate there just dark spots that become raw but i get no discharge from it and no blood  so  im quite confused by it, but either way dont let it get the best of you alot of people have herpes and its defitnley not the end of the world as for me im going to go  keep going back to the doctor untill i figure it out but getting a negative test after living with these symptons  for a year just seems the like i have a good chance that its not plus the symptoms did leave me for like 4-5 months
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207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi there -

That info is compiled from studies, etc.  You can find it all in the herpes handbook at www.westoverheights.com and at www.ashastd.org.

Nerve pains can be many things.  Have you explored any other reasons why you might have this?  You could have a hernia, a prostate infection, a back injury, all kinds of things.  You aren't doing yourself any favors by focusing only on herpes.  

The fact is that the huge mjaority of people will test positive by 6 weeks, and something like 98 or 99% will by 4 months.  You need to stop focusing on herpes, wasting money and explore other options.

Aj
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Avatar universal
Came upon this thread and I was impressed by the information that you provided.  May ask where you got it from?  I am currently 10 weeks negative post-exposure for HSV-1 & HSV-2 however I have been getting weird but sharp intermittent (2-3 seconds or so) nerve pains mainly around my groin area for about 5 weeks.  I have felt the pain in other parts of my body but not as frequently as my groin area.  

I really wish there was a definite way of determining my status.  I have drawn 4 times for a herpes test and I am planning to take one on my 12th week and 16th week if I show negative on the 12th.  I also plan on taking a 20th and 24th.  In all, I am looking at spending hundreds of dollars on testing......

I am sooo f*ck*ng FRUSTRATED!!!  You would think after years and years of herpes being known about they would have determined an effective, accurate, and early method to determine whether someone has herpes!!  I read that the herpeselect test to determine antibodies in the blood is only like 7 years old or so, and before that there was no way to determine whether someone has herpes but only through testing an outbreak!!! LIKE WTF!!!
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Avatar universal
You do not describe what the rash was like, where it was, timing, etc. It is impossible to say much about it.

Herpes testing should be handled as follows:

1. If you have a rash should be cultured immediately and tested for type specific herpes. If positive, you have herpes. If negative, you may still have herpes. This may especially be true if the rash was a few days old.
2. You should also get a type specific blood test immediately, if you doctor suspects herpes. If positive, you have Herpes except for false positives (see below). If negative, you may still have herpes. It can take up to 6 months for it to show up on a test. (see below)
3. Find out if your previous partners have herpes
4. If you have reason to believe that you have herpes (i.e. the rash really looked like herpes, the rash reoccurs, and/or your partners have herpes), get tested again at 3-4 months.
5. If you still have have reason to believe that you have herpes, get tested again at 6-7 months.

Comments on False Positives:
- If you have HSV1, and you have a low-positive for HSV2 i.e. below 3.5, it may be a false positive for HSV2.
- You can sort this out, by asking the lab to do confirmatory testing OR get a different HSV2 test like Biokit or Western Blot. You can ask your doctor to order these tests.

Comments on Early Negatives:
- It can take awhile for herpes to show up on an HSV test.
- Scenario 1: If you are HSV1-, but are newly HSV2+, it is very likely that you will turn HSV2+ within six weeks on the test. Most people (>50%) become positive in 3 weeks or so. (Measured from the time of symptoms.)
- Scenario 2: If you are newly HSV1+, but HSV2-, it is likely that you will turn HSV1+ within 3-4 months on the test. However it can take up to 6 months. Most people (>50%) become positive in 3 weeks or so.
- Scenario 3: If you are HSV1+ and newly HSV2+, it is likely that you will turn HSV2+ within 3-4 months on the test. However it can take up to six months. Most people (>50%) become positive in 3 weeks or so.




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