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Accuracy of herpes 2 results and how did I get it
I had STD screening done at annual gyno chck up, not because I had symptoms 11/07. HSV 1 IGG Herpeselect AB > 5.00 positive, HSV 2 IGG Herpeselect AB 0.67 negative. Okay type 1, I had gotten cold sores on my mouth since I was a child. 4/17/09 annual gyno-chck up, sent for internal sono (within a wk of of gyno visit), STD screening again 5/16/09; although really didn't think about why when testing was ordered because already with same boyfriend for almost 4 years and no symptoms, but went anyway. HSV 1 IGG Herpeselect AB 4.75 positive. HSV 2 IGG Herpeselect AB 1.22 positive. Shocked! Same sexual partner at least I year prior to neg test 11/07. Dr said my boyfriend either gave it to me and doesn’t know he has it or result is inaccurate. Diff test 6/04/09. HSV 2 IGG Herpeselect AB 1.61 positive Index 0.00-0.89 . HSV 2 Inhibition Elisa positive. Dr said boyfriend gave it to you. He got tested at Planned Parenthood, positive type 1 and negative type 2, never had symptoms of either. Is this test accurate? Could it be false positive? How did I get it? Obviously through a non-sexual experience. The only people inside of me: boyfriend, gynocologist, sonogram technician.
Towels on vacation last summer? In addition I'm paraniod that my child is going to get it because I got it so easily non-sexually and not through an oozzing lesion, in addition we have probably mixed up towels in the bathroom. She still likes to sleep in my bed, which now I freak out about. My dermatologist prescribed Valtrex in 5/06 for the cold sores I have been getting since a child. Does Valtrex make type 2 test positive; does Valtrex help make antibodies for both viruses? could it be in my eyes? sensitive to light, dry; Bumps under my eyelids and dr gave steroid drops to calm down about a year ago. After testing dirty toilet water from nasty bathrooms at work splashed up went right into anus. Do I have to have any tests retested now?
Towels on vacation last summer? In addition I'm paraniod that my child is going to get it because I got it so easily non-sexually and not through an oozzing lesion, in addition we have probably mixed up towels in the bathroom. She still likes to sleep in my bed, which now I freak out about. My dermatologist prescribed Valtrex in 5/06 for the cold sores I have been getting since a child. Does Valtrex make type 2 test positive; does Valtrex help make antibodies for both viruses? could it be in my eyes? sensitive to light, dry; Bumps under my eyelids and dr gave steroid drops to calm down about a year ago. After testing dirty toilet water from nasty bathrooms at work splashed up went right into anus. Do I have to have any tests retested now?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Correct, valacyclovir will only protect if exposed when taking the drug (for 1-2 days after the last dose). That you and your boyfriend had other partners in the past slightly raises the risk, but my main judgment and advice are unchanged. I doubt you are infected wth HSV-2 and expect follow-up testing to be negative. Feel free to return to the forum when you have such test results to report; I'm interested to hear what is found.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum. I'll try to help.
Most likely you do not have HSV-2. It is very common for the HSV-2 test to give a weakly positive result when someone has a strongly positive HSV-1 result, as you do. The inhibition test is supposed to sort this out, and it does raise the chance you actually are infected with HSV-2. However, it also is not a perfect test. Additional evidence against HSV-2 is your boyfriend's negative test; it is more likely that his test is the reliable one and yours is false. And you cannot catch genital herpes from shared towels, bathrooms, etc. On top of all that, it is almost impossible that you could have caught HSV-2 while taking valacyclovir (Valtrex) for your oral herpes.
The way to sort this out is to have another HSV-2 blood test using an entirely different test method. One possibility is the BiokitUSA test, which is done in a doctor's office in 20 minutes. (If your doctor doesn't usually do that test, s/he still can order a test kit from his office supply company.) Or you could have your doctor send a blood specimen to the University of Washington clinical laboratory in Seattle for a Western blot test. WB is the ultimate gold standard for HSV antibody testing. If either the Biokit or WB is negative for HSV-2, you can be sure you are not infected. Here is the link to another thread that discusses these things in a bit more detail: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/IGG-Test-Result-Confusion/show/593272
Valacyclovir does not alter the test results and certainly does not result in false positive HSV-2 tests. Your eye problem has nothing to do with any of this.
Bottom line: Have the additional tests -- but in the meantime, you can be pretty sure you don't have HSV-2. This definitely should not be a cause of panic or alarm!
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Most likely you do not have HSV-2. It is very common for the HSV-2 test to give a weakly positive result when someone has a strongly positive HSV-1 result, as you do. The inhibition test is supposed to sort this out, and it does raise the chance you actually are infected with HSV-2. However, it also is not a perfect test. Additional evidence against HSV-2 is your boyfriend's negative test; it is more likely that his test is the reliable one and yours is false. And you cannot catch genital herpes from shared towels, bathrooms, etc. On top of all that, it is almost impossible that you could have caught HSV-2 while taking valacyclovir (Valtrex) for your oral herpes.
The way to sort this out is to have another HSV-2 blood test using an entirely different test method. One possibility is the BiokitUSA test, which is done in a doctor's office in 20 minutes. (If your doctor doesn't usually do that test, s/he still can order a test kit from his office supply company.) Or you could have your doctor send a blood specimen to the University of Washington clinical laboratory in Seattle for a Western blot test. WB is the ultimate gold standard for HSV antibody testing. If either the Biokit or WB is negative for HSV-2, you can be sure you are not infected. Here is the link to another thread that discusses these things in a bit more detail: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/IGG-Test-Result-Confusion/show/593272
Valacyclovir does not alter the test results and certainly does not result in false positive HSV-2 tests. Your eye problem has nothing to do with any of this.
Bottom line: Have the additional tests -- but in the meantime, you can be pretty sure you don't have HSV-2. This definitely should not be a cause of panic or alarm!
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Also my boyfriend was not my only lifetime partner, but was the only one I was with for the past 4 years. Nor was I his only lifetime partner, but supposedly for his past four years I was.
Thank you, I will try to have the other testing done. As far as the Valtrex, I only take it when I feel an itching on my lip and only for 3 days, not as a daily medication. So is it still possible to have gotten it?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I forgot to say there is no realistic chance you caught HSV-2 from a medical procedure. If your boyfriend is your only lifetime sex partner and does not have HSV-2, it is virtually impossible that you are infected.
You are reading content posted in the STDs 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.
