Looking for answers

[Helpneeded1215]

Hello. I am trying to find out some information. I am hoping someone here can help me. My boyfriend who I have been dating for about 11/2 years tested positive by swab for HSV. I am not sure which type. Anyway, I have never had any signs or symptoms but went to be tested for all STD's after he was diagnosed. All my test results came back negative for everything except for chlamydia (sp). Which he also tested positive for. I asked my doctor for the most reliable test and he gave me a PCR? And mentioned IgG when he ordered my blood to be drawn. So here are my questions.

1. Can a swab come back as a false positive?
2. Does my boyfriend still need to have a blood test done to completely make sure that he is in fact positive?
3. Is it important for us to really know if he is positive for HSV1 or HSV2?
4. If he truly is positive and I tested negative for the antibody is it possible for me to be the one that gave him herpes? This is really important!
5. Also if he is positive his doctor advised him that he only needs to take antivirals during breakouts, but what I have been reading kind of suggests that it would be better for him to be on a low dose daily. If he is it is suppose to help with the number and intensity of outbreaks and also make it harder to pass to me. Am I correct in my interpretation?

[Life360_Dave]

Hi,
1. the main reason for a false positive from a swab is a lab mixup, other wise swabs are extremely accurate and no reason to doubt the results. Where was the swab taken oral or genital and you do need to find out which type for you best interest.
2. no but it would be good to know what numbers come up as if its negative then it would mean its recent.
3. yes very important.
4. if you tested negative 3 months post any exposure then you would be negative at this time.
5. yes your correct but the dose needs to be on the preventative level.

[Helpneeded1215]

Hi, thank you for answering. The swab was done on genitals. We are having a real hard time with this, it is causing so much tension between him, his family and me. He is in the Army and went today to see about a blood test, but the medic wont give him one due to already testing positive. His family is saying that I gave this to him, but my test came back fir both hsv1 and hsv2 as negative, no number showed up at all. His medic told him I could test negative but still be asymptomatic, is this true? I thought in order to pass it I would still have to test positive for the antibodies? I hope I am making some sort of sense. This is really tearing me up. I love my boyfriend but I cant handle how his family is treating me. And I just want facts to give to my boyfriend

[Life360_Dave]

No thats completely false to say you can show negative and be asymptomatic. The only issue here would be if you fell into the 10% that miss infections. Re test to eliminate this question and if your negative you surely did not pass it to him because you dont have it  to pass.
Again, if you test again and are negative you not the carrier.

[Life360_Dave]

one more issue. You could test negative and still have it if you just acquired it thats way one more test would be advised but if youve been faithful, you could not have got it outside your relationship.

[Helpneeded1215]

Thank you. But if I test negative and do in fact test positive on the next one, with him already testing positive, wouldnt that mean he gave it to me? Especially since I havent been outside the relationship

[asymptomatichsv]

What type of test did you have done?   Igg, igm, pcr?

[Helpneeded1215]

I had both a pcr and an igg. Both came back negative for hsv 1 &2

[asymptomatichsv]

The igg rules out a past infection for both hsv1 and hsv2.  If it is hsv1 it's possible you fall into the 10% who test negative regardless of having it, but you can be assured you did not have hsv2 previously.