Aa
False positive HSV-2??
Dear doctor.
I'll get to the facts. I'm a 36 yr old single gay man. I tested negative for hsv-2 in December 2013 but positive for hsv-1 with a score of 3.1 on the herpes select IGg. Since then I have had 8-10 encounters with 3 different men. None of these encounters included anal sex. But did include frottage and oral (giving and receiving) but not semen in my mouth. I have not had any symptoms of hsv-2 ever. Last week I repeated the test and my HSV-1 was almost 40! My hsv-2 was 2.1. Hoping this to be a false positive, I retested a few days later and my hsv-2 score was 1.11, just above the 1.09 indeterminable threshold. My hsv-1 was reported as >5.
Do you think there is a reasonable chance these are false positives? My last encounter was 2 weeks ago but before that, it had been 6 weeks.
I'll get to the facts. I'm a 36 yr old single gay man. I tested negative for hsv-2 in December 2013 but positive for hsv-1 with a score of 3.1 on the herpes select IGg. Since then I have had 8-10 encounters with 3 different men. None of these encounters included anal sex. But did include frottage and oral (giving and receiving) but not semen in my mouth. I have not had any symptoms of hsv-2 ever. Last week I repeated the test and my HSV-1 was almost 40! My hsv-2 was 2.1. Hoping this to be a false positive, I retested a few days later and my hsv-2 score was 1.11, just above the 1.09 indeterminable threshold. My hsv-1 was reported as >5.
Do you think there is a reasonable chance these are false positives? My last encounter was 2 weeks ago but before that, it had been 6 weeks.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Glad I could help. EWH
So very very helpful doctor. Thank you very much!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the Forum. I'll be pleased to comment. The answers I can provide will be statistical in nature but form what you tell me that likelihood that you have HSV-2 is tiny. The numerical values of your HSV-2 test is in an area where well over 50% of such results are falsely positive, you have not had an outbreak suggestive of HSV-2 and the exposures you describe (frottage, oral sex) are unlikely to lead to HSV-2 infection. When you consider all of these factors there is little chance that you have acquired HSV-2. My advice would be to assume that while you have HSV-1, you do not have HSV-2 and to not worry further.
If the question of whether or not you have hSV-2 is critical to you (not sure why it should be), there are several approaches you could take. One is to be tested by an alternate test such as the Biokit assay for HSV-2; if this test were negative, then you could be confident that your positive/eqivocal HSV-2 test was falsely positive. Alternatively, you could have serum sent to the University of Washington for a Western Blot test. If your Western Blot test was negative or equivocal for HSV-2, again this should be interpreted as evidence that you do not have HSV-2.
I hope these comments are helpful. EWH
If the question of whether or not you have hSV-2 is critical to you (not sure why it should be), there are several approaches you could take. One is to be tested by an alternate test such as the Biokit assay for HSV-2; if this test were negative, then you could be confident that your positive/eqivocal HSV-2 test was falsely positive. Alternatively, you could have serum sent to the University of Washington for a Western Blot test. If your Western Blot test was negative or equivocal for HSV-2, again this should be interpreted as evidence that you do not have HSV-2.
I hope these comments are helpful. EWH
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.
