Aa
herpes
Two yrs ago I had unprotected sex with someone i trusted. Five weeks later she called me and told me that she had been tested and diagnosed with hsv2. Coincidentally 5 days before she called me i had a tingling sensation on my penis which caused me to scratch. When i inpected i saw what i thought was an abrasion but looked like a sore. I have never been diagnosed with hsv 2 and knew i needed to be tested to see if i was infected also. I went to my doctor who said it looks like it could be a herpe lesion but since it had started to heal we did a type specific blood test through Quest diagnostics. My test results came back Pos for HSV1 (5.0 reading) and Neg for hsv2 (.08 reading). Because i was involoved with other partners it was determined that i had hsv1 on the genitals from oral sex which is quite possible due to other partners. I dont know if i had prior hsv1 exposure as a kid. I woul d get cracked lips and cuts on the corners of my mouth but i dont recall any bumps. Throughout my adult yrs i have been tested for all stds urine a blood and i dont recall hsv1 or hsv2 being determined in my history up until 2 yrs ago. Present time 2wks ago i had an outbreak that was typical of herpes outbreak. Small clusters of bumps. Lasted seven days. i asked my doc if the test cold have been wrong and he said based on my history and time of test after exposure(5wks)...Highly unlikely that i am pos for hsv2. Am i being paranoid because it took 2yrs for a recurrence. Please give me your thoughts on this scenario.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
When you had the bumps 2 weeks ago, were they swab tested for herpes? I hope so! That's the only way to know for certain if these bumps are herpes.
Five weeks is not enough time after the exposure to test for HSV 2. You should have retested 4 months after the potential infection date, especially since you already have HSV 1 infection, and it takes longer for people infected with HSV 1 to produce antibody when they are newly infected with HSV 2.
A blood antibody test alone that is positive for HSV 1 cannot tell you whether the infection is oral or genital - only that you are infected with HSV 1 somewhere on your body. A swab test of lesions can tell you exactly WHERE you are infected.
The fact that HSV 1 was never detected on an STD screen before could be accurate or it could be that you were never tested for HSV 1 or 2 in the past as part of your STD screens - that would be something you would need to look up in your records to be more clear about this issue.
Terri
Five weeks is not enough time after the exposure to test for HSV 2. You should have retested 4 months after the potential infection date, especially since you already have HSV 1 infection, and it takes longer for people infected with HSV 1 to produce antibody when they are newly infected with HSV 2.
A blood antibody test alone that is positive for HSV 1 cannot tell you whether the infection is oral or genital - only that you are infected with HSV 1 somewhere on your body. A swab test of lesions can tell you exactly WHERE you are infected.
The fact that HSV 1 was never detected on an STD screen before could be accurate or it could be that you were never tested for HSV 1 or 2 in the past as part of your STD screens - that would be something you would need to look up in your records to be more clear about this issue.
Terri
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
5.0 is not a really high number - it is quite an average number for a person with well established HSV 2 infection. Once the number is over 3.5, regardless of what it is, the only meaning it has is that its a firm positive.
Terri
Terri
What does the high number for hsv1 tell me..5.0 i had a IGg type specific test done. The really low number for hsv2 .08 indicates nothing except i may have tested too early
You are reading content posted in the Herpes Forum
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.
