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Negative HSV 1 and 2 IGG at 7 weeks - reliable?

Hi all,

I have a question about the reliability of my 7 week negative IGG results. Please read background information below before answering:

Over the past few months, I have had a few unprotected sexual encounters, all of them for just one night (stupid, I know - lesson learned). After my last encounter on May 7, I woke up 2 days later with intense burning during urination - I've never felt anything like this before. The burning went away in about a day, though I have these bumps right by the entrance of my vagina where it burned, that are still here 2 months later - My doctor says these are normal, so I suppose they have always been there, I just have never looked this closely. Anyway, I have been experiencing tingling on my left labia minora on and off for the last few months, and my lymph nodes in my neck periodically swell up a little bit for just a day or 2 randomly. Never any swelling of groin nodes though, and never any typical lesions or sores. It sometimes burns as well, though unlike that first time, it now burns not on a particular spot but rather my whole vulva/vagina in general.

I took 2 IGG blood tests (I'm not sure exactly what test - it was done at Quest) for both HSV 1 and 2, and results are as follows:

5/26/16 - 19 days post exposure (too early, I know)
HSV 1 - .04 negative
HSV 2 - .10 negative

6/24/16 - 6 weeks and 6 days post exposure
HSV 1 - .09 negative
HSV 2 - .13 negative


The IGG values have increased for HSV 1 and 2, but only minimally over the 4 weeks. I know variation is normal and they are all very negative still. If such burning and tingling were indeed prodromes or outbreaks, wouldn't it be likely that my IGG value would have increased a bit more over the 4 weeks between the tests?

Lastly, I was on antibiotics for acne for a few months, and experienced many yeast infections during this time (I'd say at least 5 YI in 4 months). Most of them were pretty minor, but still noticeable. I finally decided to treat myself with 3 day monistat under my doctors suggestion, and the burning did subside after about 5 days, though I didn't have any of the white discharge I usually got during yeast infections. I still feel the tingling sometimes, just on the one labia. Could the tingling and burning I have been feeling be nerve damage from the multiple yeast infections? Maybe a sort of vulvodynia?

Please please please, any information you have on this will be very helpful. Does it seem like I might have genital herpes? Or do my low IGG values at almost 7 weeks point to a true negative?

I am 22 and have just gotten into a new relationship, so I want to be confident in my status. Also, I have tested negative for all other STD's.

Thank you in advance,
Me
5 Responses
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Avatar universal
Can we follow up and know what happened please?
Helpful - 0
15249123 tn?1478652475
Only if your body was making antibodies. Rule of thumb is 8 weeks is a good indicator and you can believe the results at 12 weeks. Most people would test positive by 8 weeks. I can't say for certain you don't have hsv but a negative at 7 weeks is a good sign.
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Avatar universal
Any negative test is good but some experts suggest  waiting four months for an accurate test... Keep in mind also that for HSV-1 the test misses 25% of infections...  Not trying to scare you just want you to be correctly informed... The fact that you've been seen by your doctor is encouraging continue to follow up with him/her... Best of luck to you
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2 Comments
Thank you. But do you think perhaps there would be a greater increase in my IGG levels over those 4 weeks, even if I remained in the negative zone at week 7, if I were positive? The changes seem pretty minimal to me. I feel like, if I have herpes, my antibody levels would have increased by greater amounts between the 2 tests. What do you think?
I very much doubt you were infected and I doubt that your test results will change. But I do have to ask you, why are you not using condoms? Herpes should be the least of your concerns. Except for the social and psychological impact, herpes for most people, is no big deal. There are other stds that could have a much greater impact on your health than an infrequent and superficial skin irritant that for most people is a minor inconvenience.
15249123 tn?1478652475
Twelve weeks. Sorry
Helpful - 0
15249123 tn?1478652475
7 weeks is a decent indicator. It is not conclusive. You need to test at temwelve weeks. That being said around 70-80% would test positive by this point. Any single (one night stand) is low risk. Even if sex was unprotected. Experts estimate your odds of any single unprotected encounter with a positive partner is 1 in a 1000.
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