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HSV1 false negative
Hi,
Over the past several years, I have been getting papercut-esque cuts, probably 1-2 millimeters long. on the left side of my lower lip, usually just one small cut, the cut pops up with no prodrome, and barely any itching or any pain. It usually covers over with a small scab the next day , and the small scab is gone within a day or two..They come with no rhyme or reason...I'll be run down and sick and not have it, and be perfectly healthy and have one pop up... Also they are not on the corners of the lips and not consistent with pictures online I have seen of cuts people get that are consistent with nutritional deficiency (I know what those look like as my ex-gf who had an eating disorder got those)...I have taken a few Herpes IGG tests over the past 5 years, most recently a month ago, all negative for both HSV 1 and HSV 2 every time, with HSV 2 equivocal one of the times 5 years ago (which I read is the same as negative). So my questions are.....
1) What is the chance that these symptoms are herpetic?
2) How often to false negatives come up on herpes IGG antibody tests
3) Any idea what is causing these symptoms?
Over the past several years, I have been getting papercut-esque cuts, probably 1-2 millimeters long. on the left side of my lower lip, usually just one small cut, the cut pops up with no prodrome, and barely any itching or any pain. It usually covers over with a small scab the next day , and the small scab is gone within a day or two..They come with no rhyme or reason...I'll be run down and sick and not have it, and be perfectly healthy and have one pop up... Also they are not on the corners of the lips and not consistent with pictures online I have seen of cuts people get that are consistent with nutritional deficiency (I know what those look like as my ex-gf who had an eating disorder got those)...I have taken a few Herpes IGG tests over the past 5 years, most recently a month ago, all negative for both HSV 1 and HSV 2 every time, with HSV 2 equivocal one of the times 5 years ago (which I read is the same as negative). So my questions are.....
1) What is the chance that these symptoms are herpetic?
2) How often to false negatives come up on herpes IGG antibody tests
3) Any idea what is causing these symptoms?
at this point, best thing to do is see if your provider will give you the supplies you need to have at home to swab these symptoms within 48 hours of their appearance. pcr swabs can be done at home and no rush to get them to the lab so easy to do and easy to transport! odds are this isn't a herpes issue with that many negative results but sometimes peace of mind is worth the swab.
could this be oral herpes? it could be but many other things it can be including angular cheilitis as well as a reaction to chemicals. Things like chewing gum, mouthwash, lip balm, toothpaste and even foods can trigger these sorts of symptoms.
keep in mind that this is an open wound when it is present. do not perform oral sex on a partner until it's completely healed for non-std related reasons.
could this be oral herpes? it could be but many other things it can be including angular cheilitis as well as a reaction to chemicals. Things like chewing gum, mouthwash, lip balm, toothpaste and even foods can trigger these sorts of symptoms.
keep in mind that this is an open wound when it is present. do not perform oral sex on a partner until it's completely healed for non-std related reasons.
HSV1 commercial testing may miss up to 1 in 10 infections. A Westernblot is much more accurate, in excess of 99%.
Even if you have HSV1, this will not be proof that this is what is causing the slits. Perhaps a swab the next few times it happens is a good approach.
Even if you have HSV1, this will not be proof that this is what is causing the slits. Perhaps a swab the next few times it happens is a good approach.
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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.
