so igm is highly innacurate but does it have any indication?

[valetudo]

I posted another thread about this a few days ago and I will be bringing in my test results to give further detail by tomorrow or friday.

basically I was in a discordant relationship with a girl who had hsv 2 for 5 months and intercourse took place about 20 times

I was tested two weeks after last time we had intercourse

she was on acyclovir for suppressive therapy(though in the first 2 months she was only taking it once a day because she thought it was like valtrex  =/   )

she only had one OB --and we obstained from sex 2 days before she even noticed symptoms

we used condoms except for twice when they broke(in the first two months of our relationship) and then twice at the end(within a month or so of the test)


i got tested with IGM and it came back positive and IGG negative for both hsv 1 and 2.  doc freaked me out and told me i had a new infection that i acquired within the last month or so before the test.


1.  in this case would the IGM hold some indication there is an infection or should i disregard this one too?

2. I dont think her taking the wrong dosage of meds and the condom breaking x2 in the beginning was the case because that was at least 3 months before the test was done and would probably have shown up on IGG if that was the time of exposure

3. doc says it was probably within a month or so of the test i was exposed. is this timeframe acurate or is that total bs too about the test?

3. Yes I was extremely stupid by not using a condom at the end but she was on suppressives(acyclovir 200mg  3x a day -- I wonder why they didnt prescribe her 400mg twice a day??)

[gracefromHHP]

The igm is of little value when it's positive.  At least a 1/3 of the time it's falsely positive. It's not recommended to be drawn on anyone but infants for the purpose of diagnosing herpes.  

At this point I'd stop taking any antivirals.  You will need to repeat your igg around 3 or 4 months after the last time you had sex and go from there.   I know that is awhile to not know and to have to wait but it's all the better we can do at this time.  

So why was your gf prescribed the 200mg 3x/day?  Perhaps you aren't in the US?  That's an alternative suppressive therapy dose that is often prescribed outside of the US which is why I ask.  It works the same as the 400mg 2x/day dose but just more of a hassle to take.  The chances of someone remembering to take that dose regularly is very small which is why it's not more widely accepted.  One thing we've learned from the valtrex and transmission study is - if you aren't taking the medication the majority of the time - it won't work to protect a partner. that's why we push valtrex so much - it's not that it's a superior medication - it's that the once daily dosing is far more convenient and more likely to be remembered each day.

grace

[valetudo]

I feel if the IGM result is showing anything true then it is fromlast 3 months of the relationship since IGG would have showed up anything before that

ive heard that when you are on suppressives the transmission rate is around 4% a year(and half that with condoms, which we used 95% of the time)  so I figure my chances should be pretty low?  what are the odds the igm test is commin back false positive.


I didnt have typical G-herpes symptoms. i had a slight irritation/line of swelling on the inferior shaft of my penis with some redness but the doc looked at it and said it didnt look like herpes at all. plus it lasted for like a month and he said that is too long to be herpes.