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HSV1 Help!
HI, last week a girl I was with 2 years ago told me that last year she got a sore "down south" and when she got tested, she tested positive for HSV1. She said she had not been with anyone else after me, she had one out break and none since. At this I was sick so, I got myself checked out. I tested negative for everything except HSV1. My igG for HSV1 level was 9.6, but the dr. said he has seen numbers in the thirties and fifties. My HSV2 level was 0.1. What do these numbers mean? Either you have it or you don't. A while back I did have a rash in the thigh/groin area, but there were no bisters, puss etc that I keep reading about. I asumed it was just jock itch. I put caldesene medicated powder for the itch and it eventually went away. Other than this possible issue, I have not shown any signs orally or genitally ever. My girlfriend of 18 months has not shown one sign either. From what I have read almost everyone has hsv1 and doesn't know it. Can a possible exposure at youth a cold sore be responsible for the positive result? and if so do I actually have an std? Thanks.
Oral herpes is not an STD. Clearly for many of those who get it in childhood are not having sex! Kissing is not sex.
The only time herpes transmission is sexually transmitted is by sexual contact: oral sex, vaginal sex or anal sex.
You can both read more about oral herpes here:
http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn_oralherpes.cfm
The only time herpes transmission is sexually transmitted is by sexual contact: oral sex, vaginal sex or anal sex.
You can both read more about oral herpes here:
http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn_oralherpes.cfm
Thank you Grace for all the help and information. I greatly appreciate it, God bless you! I guess, I already knew the answer to my question, I just need to hear it from you..and you are right. She is my shoulder to lean on, actually she is my everything! That is why I am a little scared to discuss this subject with her, but I will. But just to clarify, is having HSV1 orally (which according to the statistics..almost 90% of us have) an std? or is it just another virus that we all have? Sorry for so many questions, some seem trival but like you said ask away so here I am.
odds are that your partner has never had herpes testing done herself. Even though in your age group it's in the 1 out of every 2 people have it range, it doesn't mean she does. If she doesn't have hsv1 already, you should discuss if she wants to have protected oral sex or not too to protect her from hsv1 genitally.
It's always a good idea to ask how someone gets tested for std's. Many folks just say they don't have anything because they assume if they had one, they'd know - they aren't actually getting tested for them. also a yearly pap test for a women isn't std testing either!
should you talk about this with your partner you have currently? Well of course you should! She is your shoulder to lean on for starters so having her to discuss this all with is good for you. Also now that you know you have herpes, she needs to know that so together you can make decisions as to if you want to start taking precautions together or not. Nothing shameful or embarassing about it - just tell her the story as you've told it to us and go from there! She'll be far more appreciative of your honesty and your confiding in her than she will be if 5 years down the road she is diagnosed with hsv1 genitally herself or gets an obvious cold sore and you have to tell her then that you knew you had it orally yourself!
It's always a good idea to ask how someone gets tested for std's. Many folks just say they don't have anything because they assume if they had one, they'd know - they aren't actually getting tested for them. also a yearly pap test for a women isn't std testing either!
should you talk about this with your partner you have currently? Well of course you should! She is your shoulder to lean on for starters so having her to discuss this all with is good for you. Also now that you know you have herpes, she needs to know that so together you can make decisions as to if you want to start taking precautions together or not. Nothing shameful or embarassing about it - just tell her the story as you've told it to us and go from there! She'll be far more appreciative of your honesty and your confiding in her than she will be if 5 years down the road she is diagnosed with hsv1 genitally herself or gets an obvious cold sore and you have to tell her then that you knew you had it orally yourself!
Joe, the cross reaction to Chicken Pox you mentioned as a possibility would have been a possibility in the IgM test, and assuming it was a recent chicken pox infection or a recurrance of some sort like Shingles I would suppose. (It supposedly only measures recent infections or possibly reactivated infections from my understanding. It could also detect Epstein-Barr virus (Mono). There are probably some others it could get mixed up with too, I don't know. And any reading from an IgM result will not tell you what virus it was reading. It doesn't distinguish.
From reading your original post, you did not have the IgM done. I'm assuming the IGG test you did say that you had done was the type-specific kind. Which is the correct one to get.
I'll quickly share with you my experience with IgM testing. I recently had the IgM 'sneaked' into the paper work for my order of blood tests for HSV1. (At that time I was only familiar with the IGG test from a different clinic that previously tested me negative for HSV2) Anyway, when I got the IgM results back, even the results with the test itself were conflicting. The reason?, they did the IgM using 2 different methods! The first method was the EIA method. It came back "detected". That in turn called for a confirmatory test using another method called the IFA method. It came back "negative". I actually had to get the doctor to sit down and explain that to me because it totally confused me. Basically the IFA confirmatory method ruled out the EIA method. So, in the end I was diagnosed as negative for the IgM test. But to this day, I have absolutely no idea in my mind what it is that the EIA method detected. For all I know, it could have been just a false reading of some kind. It also could have been only 1 or 2 decibels out of range (I was never given the exact number). I really don't know. And being as how the IgM test supposedly measures the presence of some kind of antibodies or whatever for recent or reactivated viruses, I know it couldn't have been detecting herpes Zoster, because I had that as a kid, and I've had no recurrence in the form of shingles either. And I've also not had Mono. So, possibly there's something else it was detecting which I don't have any knowledge of. But regardless, the IFA confirmatory result was negative so it didn't matter. Negative was the final verdict on the IgM. In addition, I had a negative for HSV1 on the type specifc IGG test as well. And it had been about 2 1/2 months since possible exposure., so overall verdict, negative. There you have my on personal experience with the 'faulty' IgM test. Go figure. With my own experience, i understand how it's recommended to not even get that test done. Like I said, it leaves you totaly confused and doubtful and wishing you'd never seen it.
However, I will say that getting that IgM test was two-fold for me. On one hand, it thoroughly succeeded in confusing and scaring me at the time and planted a little doubt in my head because of that 'mysterious' EIA result. But on the otherhand, it caused me to be aware of the test and start trying to find info on it. One of the things that brought me to this board.
From reading your original post, you did not have the IgM done. I'm assuming the IGG test you did say that you had done was the type-specific kind. Which is the correct one to get.
I'll quickly share with you my experience with IgM testing. I recently had the IgM 'sneaked' into the paper work for my order of blood tests for HSV1. (At that time I was only familiar with the IGG test from a different clinic that previously tested me negative for HSV2) Anyway, when I got the IgM results back, even the results with the test itself were conflicting. The reason?, they did the IgM using 2 different methods! The first method was the EIA method. It came back "detected". That in turn called for a confirmatory test using another method called the IFA method. It came back "negative". I actually had to get the doctor to sit down and explain that to me because it totally confused me. Basically the IFA confirmatory method ruled out the EIA method. So, in the end I was diagnosed as negative for the IgM test. But to this day, I have absolutely no idea in my mind what it is that the EIA method detected. For all I know, it could have been just a false reading of some kind. It also could have been only 1 or 2 decibels out of range (I was never given the exact number). I really don't know. And being as how the IgM test supposedly measures the presence of some kind of antibodies or whatever for recent or reactivated viruses, I know it couldn't have been detecting herpes Zoster, because I had that as a kid, and I've had no recurrence in the form of shingles either. And I've also not had Mono. So, possibly there's something else it was detecting which I don't have any knowledge of. But regardless, the IFA confirmatory result was negative so it didn't matter. Negative was the final verdict on the IgM. In addition, I had a negative for HSV1 on the type specifc IGG test as well. And it had been about 2 1/2 months since possible exposure., so overall verdict, negative. There you have my on personal experience with the 'faulty' IgM test. Go figure. With my own experience, i understand how it's recommended to not even get that test done. Like I said, it leaves you totaly confused and doubtful and wishing you'd never seen it.
However, I will say that getting that IgM test was two-fold for me. On one hand, it thoroughly succeeded in confusing and scaring me at the time and planted a little doubt in my head because of that 'mysterious' EIA result. But on the otherhand, it caused me to be aware of the test and start trying to find info on it. One of the things that brought me to this board.
Thank you IDTB and especially you Grace. I want to thank you for the information and the support. This whole experience has been an eye opener for me, actually it scared the begesus out of me...now thanks to you I am breathing a sigh of relief and starting to calm down. Grace, you asked about my gf, to be honest I never asked her if she was ever tested. When we started our relationship, we both said we were "clean" and "free" of any diseases...oh well. It is my understanding from what I read so far that hsv1 is spread by kissing etc...if she were to get tested now wouldn't she be + for hsv1? In the time we have been together we have kissed and had unprotected oral and intercourse, with both of us showing no signs of hsv1. I have a few more questions though. While I understand the blood tests are quite specific, could other viruses in the herpes family have an effect on the tests? I have had both the Chicken Pox and the Shingles. Also at this point, do I need (should I) to tell her about my result? As she has not contracted anything from me. I guess, I already know the answer to that one but I find it shameful and embaressing, even though 80% of the population has it. Also, should we start to use proection (we are both in our late forties/early fifties, so the chance of pregnancy is very very slim) assuming we remain monogamace? Thanks for your patience, understanding and help.
the numbers are just that - numbers. You are + for hsv1. The actual numeric result means nothing as far as how "bad" your infection is or anything like that. It just means that you have hsv1. Odds are your hsv1 is oral. statistically 1 out of every 2-3 people you know has hsv1, it's incredibly common.
so what do you do now? Well you know you have hsv1. Has your current gf been tested to know her own status? You two can't make educated decisions about what precautions to take together until you know who has what. http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn_oralherpes.cfm has terrific info on oral herpes for more reading. Your thigh rash you describe previously, most likely is not hsv1 and really no reason not to assume your hsv1 isn't oral.
keep asking questions!
grace
so what do you do now? Well you know you have hsv1. Has your current gf been tested to know her own status? You two can't make educated decisions about what precautions to take together until you know who has what. http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn_oralherpes.cfm has terrific info on oral herpes for more reading. Your thigh rash you describe previously, most likely is not hsv1 and really no reason not to assume your hsv1 isn't oral.
keep asking questions!
grace
Your comment about the Doctor telling you he's seen numbers much higher than yours and then your subsequent question of, so, "What do these numbers mean? Either you have it or you don't. " is a vaiid one. I don't fully understand that concept myself. I do know that there will always be a number and depending on what range it falls in or out of is how they determine the result as negative or positive. There are also some 'borderline' areas (low positives etc) that have to be interpreted as if they are really positive or if they require a retest. "Equivocal" is generally considered negative by some of the posts I've seen here.
Perhaps Grace will generally explain the number range thing and address your question of "Either you have it or you don't" a little better so you (and I) can understand more. Also, it's good to note that antibody count doesn't necessarily stay the same all the time.
Your itching and "crawling skin" could as you say, be anxiety. Our mionds can do some funny things to our bodies when we worry alot.
Perhaps Grace will generally explain the number range thing and address your question of "Either you have it or you don't" a little better so you (and I) can understand more. Also, it's good to note that antibody count doesn't necessarily stay the same all the time.
Your itching and "crawling skin" could as you say, be anxiety. Our mionds can do some funny things to our bodies when we worry alot.
Firstly, Thank you for replying, I appreciate it. She told me that they tested her for the "whole gamut" what that exactly entails I don't know. The Dr. I saw said that he would test positive also because at the start of every summer, he gets a cold sore on his lip. He actually said that if he tested most people in the clinic, most everyone would be + for HSV1. As to the numbers, obviously the highier the number, the more antibodies present but what else do they mean. I have never had an outbreak either orally or genitally. No blisters, no weeping, none of the symptoms associated with the disease but still tested +. I am confused and very upset. The more I read about the symptoms, the more I imagine having them like itchy and clawling skin etc. I am anxoius and my anxiety level is through the roof. I think that maybe all this stress, is causing them. Before she contacted me, I had nothing. Being a type (A) personality has not helped all of this.
First things first and the most important for her is this. Was the sore tested for HSV and typed? The is important to ask. For example if she was tested via a blood test and the sore was assumed to be herpes that is the wrong answer.
I won't read your test results because I am not trianed in them. Though I will let grace help you on that. My information below is general and applies to a positive result. Though I am not saying one way or the other.
HSV-1 is extremely common. About half the adult US population has it. We get it as a child from our parents typically. HSV-1 is responsible for "coldsores" in the oral region.
Transmission can happen to your partner in the genital location from oral sex. Which is where the transmission if you have HSV-1 orally would have taken place genital sex would be no risk as you don't have it genital. Though again majority of HSV-1 positive people have it orally.
To answer your question about a youth the answer is yes. There is a risk and you can have it from those encounters.
Your partner should get tested to know her own status so proper precautions can be taken if needed. Please feel free to keep asking questions.
I won't read your test results because I am not trianed in them. Though I will let grace help you on that. My information below is general and applies to a positive result. Though I am not saying one way or the other.
HSV-1 is extremely common. About half the adult US population has it. We get it as a child from our parents typically. HSV-1 is responsible for "coldsores" in the oral region.
Transmission can happen to your partner in the genital location from oral sex. Which is where the transmission if you have HSV-1 orally would have taken place genital sex would be no risk as you don't have it genital. Though again majority of HSV-1 positive people have it orally.
To answer your question about a youth the answer is yes. There is a risk and you can have it from those encounters.
Your partner should get tested to know her own status so proper precautions can be taken if needed. Please feel free to keep asking questions.
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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.
