Possibly HSV positive but no antibodies?

[februarytogo]

I have read many posts here but I am having a hard time trying to find the answer to my question.  Here is my situation and I will try to be brief.  

My last possible Herpes 2 (or any STD) exposure was over 6 years ago back in 2001.  Due to some genital symptoms (redness, irritation, a "pimple" in the public hair area) I was tested for herpes in 2006 and again in 2007 and 2008.  Here are my test results:

12/06:  HSV 1: .55 (negative),   HSV 2: .01 (negative)
12/07:  HSV 1: .98 (equivocal), HSV 2: .04 (negative)
2/08:    HSV 1: .70 (negative),   HSV 2: .03 (negative)

On the onset I know it looks like I am HSV 1 and 2 negative, but my sexual past would tell me otherwise.  I had a few partners and condoms were mostly not used.  This would leave me to believe that I was at high risk for contracting HSV 2.  Back in 2005 I was diagnosed with high-risk HPV.

I have read in past posts that about 5% of people with herpes do no produced antibodies.  My questions, thus, are:

1) Why?  What causes these people to not produce anitbodies to HSV (i.e. are there specific medical conditions that these people have?)

2) If someone does not produce antibodies to the herpes virus and they have it, will they also not produce antibodies to other viruses?

3) My greatest fear is in regards to HIV.  I have been tested many times over the past 6 years and all have been negative, but what if I don't produce antibodies to HSV and HIV?  

4) Could something in my immune system cause me to not produce antibodies to HSV and possibly HIV?  Or is the ELISA for HIV more accurate than the ELISA for Herpes?

Again, I would like to stress that I was surprised when the nurse told me I was negative to both HSV 1 and 2.  I thought for sure I had one or both (given my past) even though I have not had any typical symptoms.

Thank you very much for answering my post.  I would be very interested to hear what you have to say.  Thanks!!

[auntiejessi]

You got pretty much the same response in the experts forum.  You really don't have herpes.

I sowed plenty of oats, so to speak, in my younger days, and didn't even end up with hsv1.

I didn't get hsv2 until I was in a long term committed relationship in my 30s.

Getting an std is not a certainty, no matter how many partners you've had.

Its really ok to believe you don't have it.

Aj

[gracefromHHP]

There are all sorts of antibodies that the body produces. The igg response is just one part of the whole process ( there's iga, igg, ige, igm... ) .  The current blood tests we have for herpes just look at the igg response to herpes.  Since it's impossible to look at the entire igg response in itself - the tests we currently have look at certain "bands" or parts of the igg response.  If certain bands are present then you have herpes.  The herpes WB looks at more of the igg bands than the other tests do which is why we use it for confirming any questionable other herpes blood tests though it's unfortunately very difficult to read and really a bit of an artform so it's only done at one lab in the US currently.  

So just for the sake of making it easy - say there are 20 bands to the igg response to herpes ( I have no idea what the real number is - I made 20 up ).  Most tests look at 4 of them ( ditto- made up the 4 number ).  Just because your body didn't make any of those 4 bands doesn't mean that it's not going to produce those 4 bands of say the igg response to hiv.  Each test is different. Each test looks at different things.  It doesn't mean that there's anything "wrong" with you because you are only making 16 parts of the igg response to herpes - it just means that the current tests we have aren't very useful. Each body is different -we are all unique and the tests we have work for the vast majority of folks. No single test out there works for 100% of people 100% of the time.    For the small % of folks who aren't testing + on the current blood tests we have - they will still test + on the lesion cultures/pcr cultures because the cultures/pcr look for actual herpes virus - not for the body's response to being infected with herpes.  

You had 1 episode of questionable symptoms in the genital area.  No reason to suspect that it was due to herpes. Sometimes a pimple is just a pimple.

grace

[februarytogo]

Thank you for your quick reply.  I know I am probably sowing a few oats, but why would someone not produce antibodies?  To me, it just doesn't make sense and if they don't produce antibodies to HSV then why not to something else like HIV?  There must be some reason out there, right?  Thank you.

[gracefromHHP]

No reason to suspect that you are one of the few who won't test + for herpes on the blood tests we have now. It's actually less than 5% of folks even who that is an issue with.  

Same with if you were one of the few that this is an issue with - that doesn't mean that you'll test falsely negative for everything else including hiv.

I know this is a little armchair shrinkage talk but it sounds like you sowed a few oats or something at one point and are now having a really hard time believing that there isn't some sort of price you should be paying for it?  Be happy that you are negative and move on from it all. I assume you are dealing with the hpv issue - no reason to wish you had more than that right?

grace