I have been with only one sexual partner within the past 3 years. In Feb. 2009,, I had routine STD screening, just b/c I am always cautious, & was negative for HSV II, & as my OBGYN stated, I was "stone cold negative". In Aug 2009, I was tested once again, for my own well being for all STDs & I was positive for HSV II. The results did not include a numerical reading, just showed that my IgG results were over 5.0 so this rules out false positive. So immediately I go to my significant other, and accuse him of being with someone else. He denied and went and got tested. He was negative for HSV II with an IgG reading of .03, so it being extremely negative. No reason to doubt these results, because both were IgG.
So, my question is, how can I all of the sudden, within a six month time-frame contract HSV II, when my only sexual partner is negative for HSV II.
Well, I have a theory. I have a close family member who has a lesion on his arm, which several years ago was cultured and tested positive for HSV II. He has outbreaks only on that one spot on his arm. He tries to keep it covered but sometimes I am sure it is exposed. He does have medication for it as well that he is supposed to take when he feels his arm tingle. Weird I know, but I have seen it. Also, I work in a field where I deal with some people who do not take care of their health. I have a client who has HSV II all over his arm, and I shook his hand, before I knew that he had HSV all over his arm. Now, about two months after my exposure with this client who had HSV II, I had these bumps appear on my right hand, for the most part, and maybe one or two on my left hand. I was scared and went to the doctor in May 2009. The doctor at first thought it was scabbies, but when I said they did not really itch, he assumed it was contact dermatitis.
So my question is, how did I test positive? Could it have been herepes on my hand, or was I exposed by my family member that has HSV on his arm?