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Avatar universal

help with results please

Hi,
I am male, married for 25 years. Always been faithful to my wife and she to me. About 2 months ago I strayed and received unprotected oral sex from a woman that I am unfamiliar with but I beleive her to be a "high risk" individual. I have been unable to sleep and have now lost in excess of 10 pounds due to stress over this event. My main concern is herpes, my wife has a long history of cold sores. I did have symptoms, redness and stinging on my penis followed by a couple papercut like lesions. Never any crusting or blistering, has left a shiny patch of healing skin. Got what felt like a bad rash on my anus that lasted nearly a week.

to the best of my knowlege, I have never had hsv1 or 2
6 weeks to the day I had IGG tests done which produced the following results:
HSV 1 (2.85)..........HSV 2 (<0.91)

I realize it is only 6 weeks and I will test again in another month
my question is:

how much (if any) comfort can I take in the negative HSV2 result at 6 weeks?

any responsible input will be greatly appreciated.
16 Responses
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Avatar universal
My husband has HSV2 and has never had any discharge. He does get the pain in the groin and his penis is kind of red and puffy but there are always lesions that appear when he gets an outbreak. You have described papercut type lesions, these look more like white blisters. I also think you have something else going on that needs to be checked by a specialist, but I recommend a urologist. I am an RN.
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101028 tn?1419603004
I wouldn't bother with any more blood tests at this point. Should you get a recurrence of symptoms, go and be seen promptly for further evaluation as to what they are due to.

grace
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Avatar universal
Grace,
could I bother you one last time...???...




thank you...
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Avatar universal
Grace,
I was told by the clinic that they would only see me if the lesions were only a day or two old...they have finally stopped (for the last week)...yesterday I got 12 week IGG results back for HSV-2: again <.091...if you could indulge me for a few more questions...

1.) can a GHSV-1 primary be nasty and go on for a couple months?

2.) if my HSV-1 was a longtime infection, could that keep me from serconverting all the way to 12 weeks...???...

3.) if I don't get anymore lesions that can be cultured, should I test again at 16 weeks?

4.) according to the ashastd chart, the Herpeselect should be around 96%-100% accurate at 12 weeks, that is for people with existing HSV-1 also, right?


thanks so much for your patience...
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101028 tn?1419603004
If you still have symptoms, follow up with a provider as I've already recommended. Nothing else we can do on an online forum at this point.

grace
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Avatar universal
Grace,
I do not want to anger you or anoy you, but I am having trouble understanding why you so adamantly dismiss some sort of HSV acquired when I look at it:

1.) received unprotected oral sex
2.) within 2 weeks, bad rash/blisters on anus
3.) within 3 weeks, burning redness and lesions on penis
4.) at 10 weeks still have symptoms and urethral discomfort/clear discharge
5.) last blood test was 9 weeks post exposure
Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
You obviously have convinced yourself that this has to be herpes related when it's incredibly unlikely that it is as HHH and myself have told you repeatedly now.  

A dermatologist would be the better option at this point.



grace
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Avatar universal
Grace,
first, thank you for taking the time to read and respond, it means a lot to me in a very tough time.

I am still having pretty much non-stop symptoms on my penis, burning, and patchy redness that turns raw then shiny, heals up and occurs somewhere else when it heals and now some discomfort in my urethra, this morning I saw a clear discharge. I called the clinic this morning and they can't get me in for a week because I was there 3 weeks ago for a full STD screening (all negative). I am now 10 weeks past exposure, going on  6-8 weeks of symptoms. I have looked at pictures of fungal infections on the web, and I get no white stuff on my penis, just the raw redness. this all started 2-3 weeks after my unprotected oral incident. which leaves me left with one of the following 2 unlikely scenarios.

1.) in light of my positive HSV-1 test at 6 weeks a true primary outbreak of GHSV-1 that is now going on 8 weeks? (as I understand it a HSV-1 outbreak wouldn't last this long)

2.)  I am the unlucky exception that acquired HSV-2 through receiving oral sex, tested negative at 6 weeks and 9 weeks out and is now going through 8 weeks of symptoms even with a prior HSV-1 infection that should help make the newly acquired HSV-2 infection less severe.

which do you think is more likely? I will go back and test again in 2 weeks with a Herpes Select IGG 1 & 2 test, unless I can get an answer at the clinic next week. could I ask you two more questions?

1.) have you, in all your work on all the different boards, ever run across someone that acquired HSV-2 from receiving oral sex?

2.) how often does it happen that someone that tests negative at 6 weeks and 9 weeks with Herpes Select IGG tests turn positive at 12 or 16 weeks?


thanks again for trying to help me out with this...



Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
Very few people ever take a year to test accurately on the herpes blood tests regardless of their hsv1 status.

This really sounds like a fungal infection or even just irritation. See your doctor or a dermatologist and stop thinking std's as a cause all the time.

grace
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Avatar universal
Grace,
I know you don't think HSV-2 is possible, but my symptoms are redness, burning followed up by a shiny paper cut like thing and now discomfort in the urethra...I have never had a blister that weeped, so I assume there is nothing for them to swab if I went to see the doc...am I wrong...???...
I am now 9 weeks past exposure, can this possibly be HSV-1...???...I thought Hsv-1 was unlikely to linger like this...

I have read myself sick on message boards that if my HSV-1 infection was an old oral one that I could take a year to test positive for HSV-2 is that right...???...


thank you again
Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
You really aren't listening to me are you?  You don't have to worry about hsv2 from the encounter you had.  There is absolutely no reason to continue getting herpes blood tests.

You need to see a provider and have your symptoms looked at. If you can't get in with your regular doctor, make an appointment somewhere where you can be seen promptly at.

grace
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Avatar universal
Grace,
I am still having symptoms (redness and skin soreness, seems to get worse with anxiety level) at 9 weeks, can not see my regular doctor for obvious reasons. but I did have another hsv2 IGG test which again came back IGG type 2: <0.91.

I would not have done it except I know the main difference between 1 & 2 is recurrence rates and I have trouble not thinking it is hsv2 with a recurrence this soon.

I know it's not 12 weeks yet, but with nearly 7 consecutive weeks of symptoms do you think it likely that my 12 week test will be HSV2 negative ?

thanks again for all you do here and on other boards, you are something...
Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
Once again, it's incredibly unlikely you contracted hsv2 from oral sex. Not many folks have it orally for starters and those who do, it only sheds 1% of days so the odds of it being transmitted to you are slim.

Go see your doctor and get a proper exam and discuss this all with them and go from there.  It's far more likely to be something other than herpes going on. Don't make the mistake of confusing guilt with risk.

grace
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Avatar universal
Grace,
thank you for taking the time to respond, you are very kind for the work you do on this site as well as others. I had the test at 6 weeks to the day after my exposure, could I bother you with a few more questions I promise to end this:

1.) while I was pleased with the positive hsv1 and negative hsv2 result, my concern is just what you pointed out, if I have aquired HSV1 in the past from my wife and didn't realize it, then what could I have aquired in my possible exposure other than HSV2 which may not have had time to show up?

2.) it is now 8 weeks past and for the last week, my lymph nodes in my groin have been very tender. should I be concerned that is a sign that HSV2 antibody that was not there 2 weeks ago is being created now post 6 week test? or could this be the HSV1 antibody that was there?

3.) with the painfil lymph nodes going on for a week now, I am tempted to test again next week (9 weeks post) as opposed to waiting for 12 weeks. do you think at 9 weeks post, with significant symptoms and 2 weeks of painful lymph nodes that I could feel any comfort with the results of a 9 week test, knowing I will still test again at 12 weeks? I am scared to death I am going to end up realizing this ih HSV2 and in the end lose my high school sweetheart of a wife due to a chance 1/2 hour encounter with a total stranger.
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101028 tn?1419603004
You are very unlikely to contract hsv2 from receiving oral sex. Personally I wouldn't even test again for it.

Your wife has hsv1 orally so no surprise that you tested + for hsv1 yourself.  Since you waited and didn't get seen for your symptoms when you had them I assume and just got the blood test 6 weeks later, no way to know if your hsv1 is oral or if you had contracted hsv1 genitally from oral sex. I'm bettering it's oral. Should you get a return of your genital symptoms, go and be seen promptly for a lesion culture and typing of active symptoms if they feel it look herpetic.  Your description of things though really doesn't sound like it was herpes.

You were far more likely to have contracted a fungal infection from oral sex than anything else.  

grace
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Avatar universal
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