Negative results but confused

[unsure_eha]

A year ago I slept with man and it was unprotected. I grew concerned and got tested for all STDS. The results came back negative. A month after getting the results, I got ulcers in my throat and immediately went back to my doctor to find out if I had contracted HSV 1. She examined me and said that it did not look like I did and that the test for Herpes was negative. She just told me my immune system was weak. I got blood test anyway to make sure that she was correct. It came back negative.
Just recently, I felt like I was getting a sore throat and I saw that I had uclers again. I went to another doctor and she saw the ulcers and gave bacterial antibotic and valacyclovir. The doctor did not say I had HSV-1 but I was scared once I read the description of what Valacyclovir used for. So I got tested using HerpeSelect test. Testing for HSV1 and HSV2 and the results came back negative.
Throughout this year I've been tested (blood tests) for Herpes about 4 times. They all came back negative. I never had uclers in the my throat before and I am wondering if all those tests could have been false-negatives.  And I have not gotten cold sores at all throughout this year. Can those symptoms be from something else? Or could it still be HSV-1? I am really worried. I just want to be sure that either I have HSV 1 or don't.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I would say that if you have had four negative HSV 1 tests, the chances are very good that you don't have HSV 1 infection.  My guess is, that unless a swab test was taken from your throat that was positive for HSV 1, your doctor was covering all the possible diagnoses for ulcers in the throat and that would have to include HSV.  Does your doctor know that you tested negative for HSV 1 repeatedly?  Do you know if you had a swab test from the ulcers and what the result was?
Terri

[unsure_eha]

I haven't had a swab test yet. But I am very interested in taking a swab test. What is the swab test called. I right now the ulcers have gone away. My doctor knows that I have taken 4 HSV tests and that they all came back negative but I am just worried because I research mouth infections. It scares me cuase all websites say that the causes for ulcers could be bacterial, or viral. So I just want to be sure.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

You have to have lesions to swab before swabbing can be done.  I prefer the use of PCR swabs, you can check with your provider about this.

Terri