Aa
HSV1 0.90 Equivocal 6 Weeks After Contact w/ a SW. Please Help!
I have posted in the STD/STI section a few times, with some help. Back story is 7 weeks ago I had protected contact (vaginal and oral) w/ a SW. Worst decision of my life. Never been with anyone other than my wife prior to that. Immediately felt remorse, anxiety, stress. Started getting diarrhea and pain in abdomen - lasted a week, stools firmed up but until today look like they turn into sand/dust in the toilet. Got pain and drip down there a few days later, took 1g Zpack and Suprax to help clear anything. Pain subsided, but burning after urination started from weeks 3-6. Took Flagyl 2g (pain went away next day). On Doxy now for 14 days preventatively. Around 3 week mark, started getting itchiness in my body, particularly on my hands. Could see these red blotchy spots show up, but they go away in 5-10 minutes. Still happening today. Also, see a ton of blue veins popping up on the top and palm of my hands.
Tested for 10-panel STD (with early detection HIV and Trich) at 2 days, 14 days, 34 days. All negative. Did CBC at 4 weeks all normal. Tested again for everything again at 45 days (still waiting for Hepatitis C and Syphilis (T Palladium) . MCV 79.8 and MCH 26.6 came in as low. Certainly worried about that, but I just saw that I tested equivocal at 0.90 for HSV1. I'm SCARED out of my mind!
A couple of other things to note, around 3 week mark I got a burning sensation on my upper lip and noticed some tiny white bumps. No burning since then but bumps remain. Also, my foreskin looks different (feels more wrinkly, looks like there are more bumps there, and I can see more veins than usual - it's not in my head, I can see it).
Questions:
1) What should I do about the HSV1 Equivocal test? I did not use my mouth at all! I have only had 1 partner before, and tested negative all other times, so I know this isn't from anything before. I don't want to pass anything on to my wife. I am so scared and completely at a loss...
2) If I have contracted HSV1, what should I do? Could that be the reason for the bumps on my lips and the changes in my foreskin?
3) HSV2 came back <0.90. Is there a chance that turns positive too?
4) Could the HSV1 show up as Equivocal if there is something else going on in my body? My other symptoms about hands itchiness, veins, BMs, low MCH/MCV, could that be tied to HSV (or even Hepatitis C or something else)?
Please Help!
Tested for 10-panel STD (with early detection HIV and Trich) at 2 days, 14 days, 34 days. All negative. Did CBC at 4 weeks all normal. Tested again for everything again at 45 days (still waiting for Hepatitis C and Syphilis (T Palladium) . MCV 79.8 and MCH 26.6 came in as low. Certainly worried about that, but I just saw that I tested equivocal at 0.90 for HSV1. I'm SCARED out of my mind!
A couple of other things to note, around 3 week mark I got a burning sensation on my upper lip and noticed some tiny white bumps. No burning since then but bumps remain. Also, my foreskin looks different (feels more wrinkly, looks like there are more bumps there, and I can see more veins than usual - it's not in my head, I can see it).
Questions:
1) What should I do about the HSV1 Equivocal test? I did not use my mouth at all! I have only had 1 partner before, and tested negative all other times, so I know this isn't from anything before. I don't want to pass anything on to my wife. I am so scared and completely at a loss...
2) If I have contracted HSV1, what should I do? Could that be the reason for the bumps on my lips and the changes in my foreskin?
3) HSV2 came back <0.90. Is there a chance that turns positive too?
4) Could the HSV1 show up as Equivocal if there is something else going on in my body? My other symptoms about hands itchiness, veins, BMs, low MCH/MCV, could that be tied to HSV (or even Hepatitis C or something else)?
Please Help!
RELAX!!!!
1. Do nothing. If you are infected with hsv1, I highly doubt it came from your recent encounter because that would mean you did not have antibodies to it, and if that were the case, your symptoms would have been very obvious and would have shown up within 3-6 days after your encounter.
2. See above. You did not contract hsv1 from this encounter.
3. I very much doubt it. You used protection, which is very effective for preventing transmission of hsv. You did not have any symptoms. Over half of infected patients will test positive at 34 days, but for the most accurate test you should wait until 12 weeks has elapse. That said, I very much doubt your test result is going to change. In fact, I would be willing to bet a very large amount of money it will stay negative and if I were somehow in your shoes, I would not worry about it and would not take another test.
4. Nothing you describe sounds remotely like a herpes infection. Your hands itching, your blotchy red marks, your diarrhea, your abdominal pain, your burning after urination, etc are all related to your stress and anxiety. I would guess you are probably losing a lot of weight too. In fact, if you do not relax, you may even develop a prostrate issue that causes tingling in your penis, pressure in your perineum and anus, and all sorts of weird sensations down there that will cause you to freak out even more.
Listen, this encounter was a low risk encounter. You used protection, you have not had any typical std symptoms, and you have negative test results, except for your equivocal hsv1 test, which I believe is falsely so. You need to chill out. I am not judging you morally, but you may want to figure out why you are going outside your marriage for sex and address it. Doing this is only going to continually lead to stress, anxiety and suffering.
1. Do nothing. If you are infected with hsv1, I highly doubt it came from your recent encounter because that would mean you did not have antibodies to it, and if that were the case, your symptoms would have been very obvious and would have shown up within 3-6 days after your encounter.
2. See above. You did not contract hsv1 from this encounter.
3. I very much doubt it. You used protection, which is very effective for preventing transmission of hsv. You did not have any symptoms. Over half of infected patients will test positive at 34 days, but for the most accurate test you should wait until 12 weeks has elapse. That said, I very much doubt your test result is going to change. In fact, I would be willing to bet a very large amount of money it will stay negative and if I were somehow in your shoes, I would not worry about it and would not take another test.
4. Nothing you describe sounds remotely like a herpes infection. Your hands itching, your blotchy red marks, your diarrhea, your abdominal pain, your burning after urination, etc are all related to your stress and anxiety. I would guess you are probably losing a lot of weight too. In fact, if you do not relax, you may even develop a prostrate issue that causes tingling in your penis, pressure in your perineum and anus, and all sorts of weird sensations down there that will cause you to freak out even more.
Listen, this encounter was a low risk encounter. You used protection, you have not had any typical std symptoms, and you have negative test results, except for your equivocal hsv1 test, which I believe is falsely so. You need to chill out. I am not judging you morally, but you may want to figure out why you are going outside your marriage for sex and address it. Doing this is only going to continually lead to stress, anxiety and suffering.
6 Comments
Thank you so much for your quick response. I am forever burdened by the stupid decision I made that night. I love my wife and kids more than my life. I will never live this down. Given the amount of stress and anxiety this has caused, I will NEVER do anything like this again. Just the thought of how disappointed and hurt they would be crushes me every day.
That's good. People make mistakes man. The fact this has messed you up so bad means you are not a monster by any means. Use your energy to be the best husband and Dad you can be. Learn to forgive.
Wellinformed was spot on with his assessment of your basicslly no risk event. Ease up on the stress and all will go back to normal. You will make it through this.
Wellinformed was spot on with his assessment of your basicslly no risk event. Ease up on the stress and all will go back to normal. You will make it through this.
Thank you so much. Very kind words and advice.
You're very welcome.
Wellinformed, Feelingundone, and anyone else that might be able to help: I have a few follow up questions. Do you think the 0.90 on an IGG might be a false reading at 6 weeks given all the other tests I took prior had HSV1 as negative? Read somewhere that if you trip the threshold at some point, could be a sign of a recent exposure/infection. What are your thoughts on that? Finally, most importantly, is there a risk if I have protected sex w/ my wife or should I continue to abstain as I have for the last 8+ weeks now. I don't want to pass anything along to her...Really appreciate the feedback you have provided to date. Thanks in advance for any additional help.
This is what I believe to be accurate in your case:
You absolutely did not acquire herpes in your encounter with this sex worker. If you are infected with hsv1, it is most likely an oral infection you acquired when you were so young in childhood you do not remember it happening. The other possibly is that since you are barely equivocal and I mean BARELY, your results are truly negative. They can bounce around.
I am not basing my belief about your results on some voodoo magic. I am basing it on my research and understanding of herpes, how it is transmitted, what are its symptoms, what tests should be used, how should those tests be interpreted, etc.
Absolutely no one should ever interpret test results in isolation, which is what you are doing. One needs to consider the test results in the context of the riskiness of the encounter, presence of symptoms, odds of transmission, etc.
Based on what I know, I feel confident that you did not acquire hsv1 from this encounter.
Your guilt is getting to you. Go confide in someone that can help you resolve this moral dilemma you find yourself in.
You absolutely did not acquire herpes in your encounter with this sex worker. If you are infected with hsv1, it is most likely an oral infection you acquired when you were so young in childhood you do not remember it happening. The other possibly is that since you are barely equivocal and I mean BARELY, your results are truly negative. They can bounce around.
I am not basing my belief about your results on some voodoo magic. I am basing it on my research and understanding of herpes, how it is transmitted, what are its symptoms, what tests should be used, how should those tests be interpreted, etc.
Absolutely no one should ever interpret test results in isolation, which is what you are doing. One needs to consider the test results in the context of the riskiness of the encounter, presence of symptoms, odds of transmission, etc.
Based on what I know, I feel confident that you did not acquire hsv1 from this encounter.
Your guilt is getting to you. Go confide in someone that can help you resolve this moral dilemma you find yourself in.
This discussion was closed by the MedHelp Community Moderation team. If you have any questions please
contact us.
You are reading content posted in the Herpes 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.
