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Positive or equivocal Test?
I was offered a full STD panal at my yearly OBGYN checkup this year, so I said sure..I 've been with the same man ( husband) since the age of 15..and my only sexual partner EVER..7 years ago we seperated for some time but got back 2gether soon after to try and work things out. In that seperation I found out he had a sexual incounter with someone. I cant realy call that cheating because we were seperated, but I still get STD tested for piece of mind because I have not been with anyone else but him sexualy and there are still "TRUST" issues.This year my new OB explained that Herpes tests are not so called rutine tests, that the patient has to request it, so this year I decided to get one done since I have never gotten one b4...Turns out my Herpes HSV 1 was at a 5.00 so positive.,eventhough I have never had a cold sore.but considering it is something so called expected in a large majority of the human population , I couldnt blame it on my husband..lol...but my HSV2 test came back at 1.52, so POSITIVE!!! also..So I made him test and he came back at .02 NEGATIVE. So there I was very very confused, not being with anyone else sexualy I totaly thought my husband past it on to me,but by him being negative means he didnt. So I asked for a retest and it came out to 1.0 or equivacal..I was told to retest in 12 weeks..My first test was a HerpeSelect IgG Type Specific AB from Quest. I had a bad feeling when I got this test done because I needed 5 viles of blood and the new Lab lady could not get 5 viles out of me but only 4..she said that would/should be enough.So I left it at that.. my 2nd retest was an IgG HerpeSelect Quant fromWestcliff.the same lab my husband got tested at....so
1st test...QUEST 1.52 POSITIVE
2nd test..Westcliff 1.01 equivocal
Am I positive or negative? I should mention I have never had an outbreak. Should I go ahead and retest for the 3rd time or just assume that the Quest test was contaminated?
1st test...QUEST 1.52 POSITIVE
2nd test..Westcliff 1.01 equivocal
Am I positive or negative? I should mention I have never had an outbreak. Should I go ahead and retest for the 3rd time or just assume that the Quest test was contaminated?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
1. Unknown. If we knew, the test could be altered to make it not happen.
2. Good question. I think that most OB providers and family practice providers have so much to learn and know about that they aren't learning about the fine tuning of herpes testing. I would say MOST providers have no idea about the need to confirm low positives.
3. She is simply wrong, in several ways. First, no confirmation, then a true positive doesn't mean exposed, it means infected.
4. There is no need to confirm this is neither you nor your husband has had a new partner in the last six months.
5. There is an article that you can find on PubMed by Matthew Golden that addresses the issue of low positives. Here is the link for you. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16314775
Also, there is good information about herpes testing and confirmation at ashastd.org that you could read and print out for her. There is also a booklet on herpes testing that you could graciously buy for her and with respect, point our her error and how meaningful it could have been for your life, had you not found this site. Here is that link for the online version:
http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_toolkit/
Best of luck to you,
Terri
2. Good question. I think that most OB providers and family practice providers have so much to learn and know about that they aren't learning about the fine tuning of herpes testing. I would say MOST providers have no idea about the need to confirm low positives.
3. She is simply wrong, in several ways. First, no confirmation, then a true positive doesn't mean exposed, it means infected.
4. There is no need to confirm this is neither you nor your husband has had a new partner in the last six months.
5. There is an article that you can find on PubMed by Matthew Golden that addresses the issue of low positives. Here is the link for you. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16314775
Also, there is good information about herpes testing and confirmation at ashastd.org that you could read and print out for her. There is also a booklet on herpes testing that you could graciously buy for her and with respect, point our her error and how meaningful it could have been for your life, had you not found this site. Here is that link for the online version:
http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_toolkit/
Best of luck to you,
Terri
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I believe that you are NEGATIVE. You have what's called a low positive the first time, and the second time equivocal. I can understand why you had the testing done, the encounter, when you were separated, but now you have to look at the entire body of evidence available to you.
He has been your only sexual partner in your life, right? And he tests negative. So that gives you your answer, you are also negative.
Sometimes, the test reacts just a little, to something else in your blood and that happened to you. I would advise that you put this aside and don't think about it anymore, and if you ever have to test again, and I hope you won't, you could expect that you might get in this situation again, that something in your blood might trigger the test just a little. If you continue to worry about this, you could have a herpes western blot done, and that would tell you for certain that you are not infected. But if you were my patient, with the sexual history that you present, I would encourage you NOT to test anymore.
Terri
He has been your only sexual partner in your life, right? And he tests negative. So that gives you your answer, you are also negative.
Sometimes, the test reacts just a little, to something else in your blood and that happened to you. I would advise that you put this aside and don't think about it anymore, and if you ever have to test again, and I hope you won't, you could expect that you might get in this situation again, that something in your blood might trigger the test just a little. If you continue to worry about this, you could have a herpes western blot done, and that would tell you for certain that you are not infected. But if you were my patient, with the sexual history that you present, I would encourage you NOT to test anymore.
Terri
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
you are so welcome!
Terri
Terri
Thank you so very much for all your help Terri..xoxo
thanks for answering me back Terri. I have some other questions that I was wanting to ask
1. What can trigger my blood to have these test results?
2.Why some doc's dont even offer a 2nd redue test? Finding out the results from both my OB and my husbands GP were sooo cut throat...It was basicaly " SHE"S POSITIVE, and you are negative".You need to be started on meds... they didnt offer anymore info on what a false-positive test is..or nothing.
3. Even with my past sexualy history ( 1 sex partner..hubby) and knowing my hubby was negative..my OB said, well it's possible to not pass it on to your mate, and although you are a little over the cut off numbers, you are still POSITIVE you dont need to test again, and eventhough you have never had sex with anyone else " YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED"..she said maybe through a towel of a toilet seat, that even she couldnt explain it..I just think she thought I was lieng about him being my only partner and that I probably had outbreaks but didnt know about it...or want to tell her about them..I mean she said EXPOSED like it was a common cold virus..
4. Even with my 2 tests she still wants to retest in 3 months. She said the equivocal was still a bit high, and hopefully the next test will be ' negative".. I think she thinks equivocal means MAYBE/NOT SURE, keep on retesting, and like you say how about if in my blood I will never get the LOW NEGATIVE numbers she is looking for..she still said I should take things like if I was still POSITIVE..
5. Is there any info on test readings and false positive and what equivocal realy means to even show my OB...I wonder about the countless women that came out at a low number false positve reading that she didnt even advise on retesting and those poor women are on meds and are probably not even a Herepes carrier....thanks
1. What can trigger my blood to have these test results?
2.Why some doc's dont even offer a 2nd redue test? Finding out the results from both my OB and my husbands GP were sooo cut throat...It was basicaly " SHE"S POSITIVE, and you are negative".You need to be started on meds... they didnt offer anymore info on what a false-positive test is..or nothing.
3. Even with my past sexualy history ( 1 sex partner..hubby) and knowing my hubby was negative..my OB said, well it's possible to not pass it on to your mate, and although you are a little over the cut off numbers, you are still POSITIVE you dont need to test again, and eventhough you have never had sex with anyone else " YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED"..she said maybe through a towel of a toilet seat, that even she couldnt explain it..I just think she thought I was lieng about him being my only partner and that I probably had outbreaks but didnt know about it...or want to tell her about them..I mean she said EXPOSED like it was a common cold virus..
4. Even with my 2 tests she still wants to retest in 3 months. She said the equivocal was still a bit high, and hopefully the next test will be ' negative".. I think she thinks equivocal means MAYBE/NOT SURE, keep on retesting, and like you say how about if in my blood I will never get the LOW NEGATIVE numbers she is looking for..she still said I should take things like if I was still POSITIVE..
5. Is there any info on test readings and false positive and what equivocal realy means to even show my OB...I wonder about the countless women that came out at a low number false positve reading that she didnt even advise on retesting and those poor women are on meds and are probably not even a Herepes carrier....thanks
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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.
