I guess my question is ...could it be possible that I received a false positive if I'm continually getting negative blood work? I go to the doc again tomorrow for more blood work to determine if the positive culture is indeed correct.
Correction *IT WASN'T A BLISTER NOR DID IT HAVE PULSE IN IT. I GOT ROUTINE CHECK UPS SINCE DEC.
ALSO forgot to mention that I went to the doc a week after lesion appeared. I continued to wear compressions to help workout and maybe it irritated the sore bc it was still peeled and 'open.' The swab culture was taken a week and some days after it appeared. They took a swab of the lesion and a swab of my vagina. I forgot to mention in April I got a vaginal swab done for all stds, HIV, and herpes. All negative. Now 3 months later and a positive???!!
Hi and welcome. Lesion cultures for swab on an active culture are very accurate. False positves uaually are from an office mix up. Its the negative result from the swab that is faulty.. You dont need penetration sex to be at risk for acquiring hsv1 or hsv2. Merely genital to genital contact will expose a person to it. Also the lesion would have clear fliud not puss.
It was never a blister just a reg bump. It never had clear fluids at all..in fact it was a dry sore ...I touched it daily and took pics of it...I showed my doc each pic from each day. I never had tingling feelings, I never had trouble using the restroom, and I never had back pains etc. Just itching. I'm so confused! The guy from Sept showed me his blood work tracking back 2 yrs ago. His latest one was in Dec of 12 ...all negative!
There does seem to be something amiss here. It is possible that the blood test is not picking up your antibodies, although I understand HSV-2 tests are at least 97% accurate in doing so.
Another possibility is that the culture was not typed and you are receiving a HSV-2 diagnosis based just on the location. In this case you could have a HSV-1 infection. Testing is less accurate for HSV-1 in terms of a false negative rate. Follow up with the doctor as to whether this is a possibility. Otherwise a properly typed culture as mentioned (if there has been no labeling stuff ups etc.) is very convincing evidence of infection.
As mentioned with the dec affair you dont need penetration only genital to genital contact with shedding or a sore as this seem to be the concern also. You might contact the dec person for testing as well in case you might be seeing him again.
Thank you for your answers. I have a few more questions, I'm trying my best to educate myself on this. What is shedding? When does it happen? If a person have hsv-2 can he or she shed other places besides the genital area? If I'm having a ob in my genital area, does that mean my entire body including my face is contagious?
Another question, could herpes damage my nervous system? I've read lots of post and seen this in many people. Could it cause spinal damage? I'm so nervous...I would love to get your feedback
I would love for your feedback also. Thanks.
What if I choose not to take medicine? When I had a "ob" I didn't even notice because I had just shaved and I thought it was a razor bump or ingrown hair. I thought since it had peeled or it was open was due to my girdles I wore to the gym. The sore wasnt painful at all just a bit irritating.
Another question...I'm sorry I know its many but I'm so curious! I've never had acne now have I broken out in pimples unless I'm on my menstruation. Lately I would have a pimple on my forehead and a pimple on my chin. The pimples look like whiteheads so I bust them and apply facial wash. They seem to come and go often. Could this be the cause of the herpes virus or is it just bad acne?
Hi, the herpes virus enters through nevers called ganlion and hide in the spine trying to avoid the immunie system. One is at the sacrum area and one at the top of the spine.
Medicine is not sure why the come to the surface and could be stress or other things that trigger this event.
Shedding is when they come to the surface with not lesion but lay on the skin. One one knows when this will happen as is different for people.
Hsv2 prefers the genital area and is called the boxer short area and can breakout anywhere below the waist.
Hsv1 perfers the oral area and most of the time breakouts are in the mouth area with the mucus membranes are.
Either Hsv1 or 2 can enter either ganglion but is not the norm for them to do this and getting hsv2 oral is somewhat unusual and not often. Nerves damage is not an issue to be concerned with.
Thank you so much I understand now thanks to you.
I have another question, if I have sex and a person gives me oral sex when I'm not having a ob or shedding is it possible to pass the virus? And if the virus is passed orally and I kiss hem afterwards...am I at risk for exposure to hsv-1? I read that having hsv makes a person that more likely to catch HIV. If I'm having unprotected sex without ob or shedding and I come into contact with a HIV person...what are my chances to likes catch HIV?
If the person is not shedding and there are no lesions, then there would not be a risk because the virus is hiding.. I did not understand your kissing question. but if she has hsv orally and is shedding for has a lesion, and she kisses you, you would be at risk for contracting. All of this would be negated if your positive already and any antibodies of 1 would help a bit in not contrating 2.
Hiv is not an issue here.
I got results today and I was positive for hsv-2 ...the numbers were 6.23 positive for hsv-2 and 1.06 for hsv-1(I think)
Does the numbers mean it was a recent infection or an existing one? Will I always experience flu like symptoms everytime I'm having a
Ob? How is it possible that I contracred both 1&2? If I already had one or the other, wouldn't i already have the antibodies for it?
Hi, cant tell if its old or new. Number just show positive hsv2 and low positive hsv1. First symtoms are the worst and lesson as time goes on. You are right having antibodies for 1 does lesson the risk but none the less is not a sure way to prevent acquiring it.
If I ever get the tingling feeling bf an Ob, is that where the lesion will appear? Will I experience the flu like symptoms before or after the Ob? Thank you for all your help
It varies. the most usual is the lesion itself with tingling before.
As far as the hsv-1 goes how can I tell if shedding? Can a herpes lesion come on the form of a whitehead pimple? I'll get a pimple on my chin or below/above my lip but never on my lip ...could that be an outbreak? If I cant tell if I'm having a Ob or shedding..is it ever safe to play with my children or share utensils?
If I have unprotected sex(with no lesion or shedding or on antiviral) can I still transmit the virus? What are the chances?
No you cannot, either shedding or lesion needs to be in place other wise the virus is inside. really cant figure odds with this but its not on the surface 100% of the time.
So you're telling me if I have unprotected sex and I have no visible lesions, no shedding, and not on antivirals then I can't transmit the virus unless there's a active lesion? So this disease is only a disease if there's a lesion present? So since I have hsv1 ...can I transmit the virus through a romantic kiss IF there's NO cold sore or shedding etc? And if I can pass hsv1 by kissing without a visible cold sore then what if I give oral sex to someone...can they catch hsv1 on their genitals?
Its not only if no lesion there also needs to be no shedding, no lesion and no shedding means no transmitting. Its hiding in the spine.