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False Negative HSV 2 Result ?
Dear Doctor,
This is me the Unlikely man again (postings dated 04/12 and 04/18). Further update on my situation: (1) On 04/30, my wife discovered that she had lesion on her left labia majora and there were 6 blisters, which broke and became ulcers several days later. She also complained of tender lymph nodes on her upper thigh next to the lesion. The pain has gone and the condition is mostly healed now ( a total of 8 days). (2) Several years ago she did have a fairly bad experience of genital lesion and extensive blisters, which lasted about three weeks. (3) I recently performed oral sex on her while having something similar to a mild outbreak on my lip. (4) I am her only sex partner in her life, and myself have never had vaginal sex with other women, though there could be some skin to skin contacts in genital areas during the several body massage encounters in early 2004. (5) On 05/4, I was shocked when my STD specialist doctor told me that my repeat test result came back NEGATIVE for HSV 2 and positive for HSV 1. The test ( regarded as the most reliable one in Singapore) is a type specific ELISA test produced by Focus Technologies. (6) My doctor advised me to accept the result and only to come back for further evaluation when either my wife or I show visible symptoms. It was too late to do a swab test then.
My questions are:
(1) What is the likelihood of my retest result being a false negative, given the fact that my wife seems to have genital herpes?
(2) What should I do next?
Thank you.
.
This is me the Unlikely man again (postings dated 04/12 and 04/18). Further update on my situation: (1) On 04/30, my wife discovered that she had lesion on her left labia majora and there were 6 blisters, which broke and became ulcers several days later. She also complained of tender lymph nodes on her upper thigh next to the lesion. The pain has gone and the condition is mostly healed now ( a total of 8 days). (2) Several years ago she did have a fairly bad experience of genital lesion and extensive blisters, which lasted about three weeks. (3) I recently performed oral sex on her while having something similar to a mild outbreak on my lip. (4) I am her only sex partner in her life, and myself have never had vaginal sex with other women, though there could be some skin to skin contacts in genital areas during the several body massage encounters in early 2004. (5) On 05/4, I was shocked when my STD specialist doctor told me that my repeat test result came back NEGATIVE for HSV 2 and positive for HSV 1. The test ( regarded as the most reliable one in Singapore) is a type specific ELISA test produced by Focus Technologies. (6) My doctor advised me to accept the result and only to come back for further evaluation when either my wife or I show visible symptoms. It was too late to do a swab test then.
My questions are:
(1) What is the likelihood of my retest result being a false negative, given the fact that my wife seems to have genital herpes?
(2) What should I do next?
Thank you.
.
Doctor,
went to another Doctor and she was sure they were warts. Burned them off and told me to return if i wanted in two weeks for another treatment.
Are lessions "sores" or openings? . Bumps with califlower type heads. ?
Can i pass the warts on to my wife after they are removed? i had genital warts some 20 years ago and never had them returned.
thanks for your advise. Its hard to express how great it is to have some knowledge and insight. First time i have slept in a week.
Most appreciative,
Shadowknos
went to another Doctor and she was sure they were warts. Burned them off and told me to return if i wanted in two weeks for another treatment.
Are lessions "sores" or openings? . Bumps with califlower type heads. ?
Can i pass the warts on to my wife after they are removed? i had genital warts some 20 years ago and never had them returned.
thanks for your advise. Its hard to express how great it is to have some knowledge and insight. First time i have slept in a week.
Most appreciative,
Shadowknos
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
HSV-2 is almost never acquired by oral sex, but HSV-1 is. You probably have genital herpes due to HSV-1. I'll respond in more detail if you'll re-post your question as a new thread. I don't try to keep up with threads more more than a couple days old.
HHH, MD
HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
HSV-2 is almost never acquired by oral sex, but HSV-1 is. You probably have genital herpes due to HSV-1. I'll respond in more detail if you'll re-post your question as a new thread. I don't try to keep up with threads more more than a couple days old.
HHH, MD
HHH, MD
i appreciate your time and willingness to address these concerns. First time posting and i simply want to clarify .
I was given oral sex ( no genital to genital contact) with a prostitute . noticed a pimple on shaft of penis. few days later a outbreak of lessons under head of penis. very tender sensation but not to the actual touch. lessions have lessen and reduced .
Doctor put me on doze of 500mg antibodic( Cephalexin) 4 times a day for approx 10 days. slight tinkling in buttocks.
did a culture test on the pimple and it came back negative. but since the lessions appeared in clusterhe did addtional blood and additional test for std's .
Did i read this correctly that HSV 2 infection cannot come from oral sex.
any thoughts would be so much appreciated.
thanks
I was given oral sex ( no genital to genital contact) with a prostitute . noticed a pimple on shaft of penis. few days later a outbreak of lessons under head of penis. very tender sensation but not to the actual touch. lessions have lessen and reduced .
Doctor put me on doze of 500mg antibodic( Cephalexin) 4 times a day for approx 10 days. slight tinkling in buttocks.
did a culture test on the pimple and it came back negative. but since the lessions appeared in clusterhe did addtional blood and additional test for std's .
Did i read this correctly that HSV 2 infection cannot come from oral sex.
any thoughts would be so much appreciated.
thanks
Dear Doctor,
Thank you for very much for your excellent advice.
What is the confidence level of the result of either a definite positive or negative, assuming no human error or window period issue?
I am very tired of doing a blood test either for myself or my wife because one can never have a definite answer. Western blot is too much a trouble for a diease like Herpes, especially for it to be done in Singapore.
I shall take my doctor's advice and wait for the symptoms,if any, to appear on my wife or I and perform a swab test. I will move on from here !
Best Regards
I forgot to point out (you may already know) that Focus and HerpeSelect refer to the same test. Your doctor is right about that being the most reliable test (everywhere, not just in Singapore).
HHH, MD
HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It certainly sounds like your wife may have genital herpes. Why are you spending all this time and emotional energy testing yourself when it is your wife who apparently has the problem? She is the one who needs the diagnostic testing, not you. The direct responses to your questions are:
1) I doubt your HSV-2 result is falsely negative. Most likely you are not infected with HSV-2.
2) What to do next? Do the obvious thing: document your wife's infection, i.e. find out for sure whether she has genital herpes. She needs the HerpeSelect test, for both HSV-1 and -2. Maybe she doesn't have herpes after all; or perhaps her herpes is due to HSV-1, possibly acquired by oral contact from you--in which case there is no mystery. If she has HSV-2, you could then ask your doctor to send your blood to a laboratory that can do a Western blot test for HSV-2, such as the University of Washington Virology Laboratory in Seattle. That's the only way to definitively sort out the possibility that you might have a false negativ HerpeSelect result.
Reading between the lines, perhaps your fear is finding out that your wife has HSV-2 infection and you do not. That would raise questions about the veracity of her history of having no other partners. You know her and your relationship, and I do not. Therefore, I cannot counsel you on whether or how to address this. Maybe the best thing is for you to accept the mystery at its present level, i.e. just live with it and stop worrying about it.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
1) I doubt your HSV-2 result is falsely negative. Most likely you are not infected with HSV-2.
2) What to do next? Do the obvious thing: document your wife's infection, i.e. find out for sure whether she has genital herpes. She needs the HerpeSelect test, for both HSV-1 and -2. Maybe she doesn't have herpes after all; or perhaps her herpes is due to HSV-1, possibly acquired by oral contact from you--in which case there is no mystery. If she has HSV-2, you could then ask your doctor to send your blood to a laboratory that can do a Western blot test for HSV-2, such as the University of Washington Virology Laboratory in Seattle. That's the only way to definitively sort out the possibility that you might have a false negativ HerpeSelect result.
Reading between the lines, perhaps your fear is finding out that your wife has HSV-2 infection and you do not. That would raise questions about the veracity of her history of having no other partners. You know her and your relationship, and I do not. Therefore, I cannot counsel you on whether or how to address this. Maybe the best thing is for you to accept the mystery at its present level, i.e. just live with it and stop worrying about it.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
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.
