I would agree that many times, the person with a false positive for HSV 2 have HSV 1. However, any test that comes back in the 1.1 to 3.5 range needs confirmation. But now you have a clear negative, so I would move on.
Terri
First, 0.9 is NOT positive, it is equivocal. Which means it is neither positive nor negative, technically. The ELISA test that you had done has some problems with false positives in the low positive range (1.1 to 3.5). Your value was in that range. Since you have a clear negative now, if you were my patient, I would encourage you to accept that you are negative for HSV 2 and move on. If you need more reassurance, you could have a western blot done, but really, I think you are good to go. The IgM is useless - ignore it.
Terri
Thank you, Terri! I read that most of the problems in the 1.1 to 3.5 range are due to cross-reactivity with HSV-1. Since I tested negative for that, does it still apply to my HSV-2 titer results?
I've seen false positives with and without HSV 1, but more with HSV 1 infection.
Terri