Aa
test results
I recently got tested for all STDs and my herpes test came back positive. My IgM l/ll came back as 2.54 for positive exposure and an IgG was done for Type Specific with HSV 1 as 3.66 and HSV 2 as 1.18 and it really has me worried as I have never had any sort of outbreak. Last July I formed a sore lump on my labia majora and a trip to the doctor told me it was a boil. It went away on it's own. Earlier this month i developed another boil which, as with the previous one, shrunk and went away after putting hot compresses on it, yet no sores, blisters or pimples of any sort have ever arised and it is just one lump that has come out on each occasion. At the time of the blood draw, this lump on my labia was present. When I have squeezed them in the past, no evidence of a head comes up at all. Is there a point to looking into a Western Blot test or can this be a false positive as I've never experienced any outbreaks. I've heard of the high rate of false positives on the IgM, but the IgG is definate, yet I found an article that if the IgG values are wide range, nor the HSV 2 us under 3.5, it more than likely is a false positive. I was told to take Valtrex to avoid outbreaks--never had any. As for Syphllis, I was told in the hospital after I had my son that I had screened positive, my husband being my only partner and never showing any signs on either of us after 8 years of marriage. I went to my GP who screened me and told me I was just a carrier, but didn't have it active and at my age (then 27), if it hadn't surface by then, it probably never would and not to worry about it. Now it says my RPR was reactive and the RPR, Quant. was 1.4, and so far I still haven't had signs of syphillis. Early in that pregnancy they thought I had Lupus, but after visits and testing by a Rheumatologist, I was told I didn't have Lupus. They have sent the Treponema Pallidum AB to lab corp to rule out a false positive. I have not yet received the results. Should I worry about this or the HSV 2? I'm getting really scared and just reading things to try and put my mind at ease.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Congrats!! I hope your doctor learned something about herpes testing. :)
If someone has oral hsv1, and they give someone oral sex, they can give that person genital type 1. Type 1 can be oral or genital, and accounts for 30-50% of new genital herpes infections in the US.
Aj
If someone has oral hsv1, and they give someone oral sex, they can give that person genital type 1. Type 1 can be oral or genital, and accounts for 30-50% of new genital herpes infections in the US.
Aj
Well, i did get rescreened for hsv2 on the 21st. My MD seemed a bit irritated that I questioned the results, saying it was a Type Specific and didn't cross reference eachother and that 60% of the population are positive without symptoms and therefore spread it unknowingly. Well, I did insist on being rescreened and she did have it done. I just got the results back today and it came out negative for hsv2 with <91 as the results. I want to thank you so much for all you've helped me and all the information you've give me through my whole syphillis and hsv2 ordeal. Just a couple more questions, can you explain what hsv1genital is? I always thought hsv1 was strictly orally with the virus implanting in be bottom of the ear and hsv2 stritcly genital implanting in the base of the spine. What is hsv1 genital? How do you get it? Thanks so much one again, you are a true angel! :D
COMMUNITY LEADER
You can re-test for hsv2 if it helps ease your mind, but I don't see any real reason to. Its highly doubtful you have hsv2.
The urine tests were probably for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Congrats on the syphilis test. :)
Aj
The urine tests were probably for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Congrats on the syphilis test. :)
Aj
I got my TP results back today. Turns out they neve sent them to me, they received them since 6/20, but the AB screening came back negative and clearly states I do not have syphillis and that it was truly a false positive. I will keep my appointment for Monday the 21st to see about the screening on the HSV2 to see if that too is a false positive. When I went originally for the testing, they also took urine, what the urine screen for? Also, can you explain more on HSV1 & 2. I always thought HSV1 was strictly the one from the cold sores and HSV2 was the STD, but then I'm also reading about HSV1 for genitals. My original test says: POSITIVE EXPOSURE TO HERPES SIMPLEX TYPE 1--COLD SORES, POSITIVE EXPOSURE TO HERPES SIMPLEX2--GENICAL HERPES. Then it goes on to advise on taking Valtrex to decrease risk of transmission to a negative partner. Is there a point to even retesting as it says HSV1 IgG Type Spec (3.66) and HSV2 Type Spec (1.18). I was going to request a HerpSelect or Biokit to be done, but do you think it's pointless or advisable? So far no sores or outbreaks of anykind. No itching or anything, but I know it can be asymptomatic and not show any signs anyway.
COMMUNITY LEADER
There are differences in the tests, and you can read about them here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis#Modern_diagnostic_tests
How long they take depends entirely on the lab, and how they report the results back to the doctors. I don't know where you are, but in the US, its a holiday, and I'm guessing your doctors office will be closed. If you aren't in the US, then call your doctor today and ask when the results should be back.
Aj
How long they take depends entirely on the lab, and how they report the results back to the doctors. I don't know where you are, but in the US, its a holiday, and I'm guessing your doctors office will be closed. If you aren't in the US, then call your doctor today and ask when the results should be back.
Aj
What is the average time for a Treponema Pallidum test to come back? Is the antibody test the exact same as TPPA or is there some difference?
COMMUNITY LEADER
Its a definite possibility.
The confirmation test should clear this up.
Aj
The confirmation test should clear this up.
Aj
I've been reading up on false positive syphillis tests and read that if an automimmune disease is present, it may trigger a false positive due to the antibodies produced by the body. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and it was discovered about 10 months after my son was born after I rapidly put on weight for no apparent reason. I know HT is an autoimmune disease as it produces antibodies to destroy the thyroid gland. I did suspect during my pregnancy that I was developing a thyroid problem (my dad had hyperthyroid and had it burned via iodine tx eventhough mine is hypo). I have been on Levoxyl with routine T3T4/TSH screening since 4/07 (son was born 6/96). Any truth to this?
COMMUNITY LEADER
The IgM is a worthless test, and is wrong more often than its right. Disregard that entirely.
I would get another IgG herpes test done and see what that says. Don't let them give you another IgM. Since you have hsv1, its a good chance that your 1.18 is a false positive.
Aj
I would get another IgG herpes test done and see what that says. Don't let them give you another IgM. Since you have hsv1, its a good chance that your 1.18 is a false positive.
Aj
Is there any test that can tell whether I would have contacted syphillis sexually or if it would be congential? Any idea what the chances are of a false positive as in the IgM for HSV2 being pointless and high in false positives? My kids' dad is from Guatemala. Don't know it that has any significance at all, just thought I'd add it in case it would. I will let you know the results of the Treponema Pallidum as soon as it comes back. Thanks Again!! :)
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oh I don't know if you were tested for syphilis when you got married. Its a good bet though. That's interesting.
I'll be interested in seeing what your confirmatory test says. It might just be that you have a false positive test. I would also check with your doctor, as they should be testing for syphilis during pregnancy. They should have that on record.
Mexico doesn't have high rates of syphilis, or yaws. That would be more African countries.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to get your kids tested for syphilis, if yours comes back positive.
Aj
I'll be interested in seeing what your confirmatory test says. It might just be that you have a false positive test. I would also check with your doctor, as they should be testing for syphilis during pregnancy. They should have that on record.
Mexico doesn't have high rates of syphilis, or yaws. That would be more African countries.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to get your kids tested for syphilis, if yours comes back positive.
Aj
I forgot to ask, if the syphillis is congenital, should I worry about my son? I also have a daughter born in 1994, I was not told about the syphillis then, so I have no idea if they tested at that time.Should I also worry about her? Both were born vaginally. When I got married in 1991, we had to go for testing for stds to get our marriage liscence. Did the sreening at that time (apx late '90) check for syphillis as well? Just trying to figure out how long this has possibly been going on. IF congenital, so I still have to worry about everything else like untreated syphillis? It angers me that if it is, I should have been treated long ago and was told I was just a "carrier" and not to worry about it. Never was I told to keep screening to see what happens. I no longer have that GP in case you were wondering. Thanks again :)
I am American, California native but of Mexican descent. I also have French and Spanish background on my mom's side as my great-grandparents were European. The syphillis was back in 1996 when my son was born, but as I said previously, I have never shown signs of syphillis, and I think that after all this time, I should have shown something. Because I had been told I was just a "carrier" (which you just said is untrue), I never bothered with it again. As for the so called boil, I was never cultured on that because she did look at it closely and even squeezed it, I guess to see if it oozed or anything, but it was dry all the time. It only felt uncomfortable when touched at first, then it never bothered me. I only kept track of the size because she told me to put hot compresses and it did, so it shrunk pretty quickly with that. She told me boils last on average 21 days, and that's mostly what this one lasted. I work in the veterinary field and because I wear scrubs and used to have a weight issue before, I tend to occasionally wear a girdle to hold me in so I don't eventually "fill out" my pants. When I got the first "boil" was when I started wearing the girdle, and you know then can be kind of binding and at times pinch a hair. It was pretty much off and on with the girdle since the first incident since I figured that had happened. Finally after I hadn't worn it a few months, I started to wear it again and it happened again. I do wear cotton panties with panty liners under the girdle, but could it be a type of reaction to the elastic or more moisture produced to make the boils come out? I will talk to my GP about retesting for a false positive on HSV2, when is it recommened I retest? This first test was done on June 16th and it took about 10 days to get the results.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I agree totally with Emma.
For the syphilis, if your confirmation test comes back as reactive, and you can't ever remember being treated for it, you need to be. INSIST on it. Even if you aren't feeling sick, syphilis can be spreading inside your body and doing damage.
What country are you from? There are many people in certain countries who test positive for syphilis, and it might be a cross reaction to an illness called yaws. Some people also have congenital syphilis, meaning they were born with it, and never knew it.
Emma gave you great info about confirming your herpes results, so I won't go in to that part.
Aj
For the syphilis, if your confirmation test comes back as reactive, and you can't ever remember being treated for it, you need to be. INSIST on it. Even if you aren't feeling sick, syphilis can be spreading inside your body and doing damage.
What country are you from? There are many people in certain countries who test positive for syphilis, and it might be a cross reaction to an illness called yaws. Some people also have congenital syphilis, meaning they were born with it, and never knew it.
Emma gave you great info about confirming your herpes results, so I won't go in to that part.
Aj
First of all, IgM test results are pretty much worthless - disregard those results. It is possible that your HSV-2 IgG test was a false positive since your HSV-1 test result was positive. You could either retest again with a type specific IgG test, such as HerpeSelect or choose another test such as Biokit USA or Western Blot (the "gold standard" of herpes testing). Was the boil you get ever cultured for HSV? The next time it appears, I would recommend getting a viral culture for herpes, just to make sure you are not having an outbreak. Sometimes herpes sores present themselves in an atypical fashion and cannot be diagnosed upon visual inspection alone. As for syphilis, you cannot be a "carrier" - either you have syphilis or you don't. If you had syphilis in the past, it is possible that you will always have a positive RPR value. You should get a confirmation test, such as Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA), which is used to confirm a positive syphilis test. If you do have syphilis, it is very important to get treated as soon as possible.
Good luck,
Em
Good luck,
Em
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You are reading content posted in the STDs / STIs Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
