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Tested positive for HSV-2
I have previously asked several questions in the "forum" but now would like specific questions answered by you, the doctor.
I am 58 year old, single for many years, woman, with several past partners (but not permiscuious). Recently, tested positive for HSV-1 (which I have had for as long as I can remember-only have an outbreak on lips when over exposed to the sun), but also tested positive for HSV-2, which is new, totally unsuspected, and shocking (test results below). Don't know when or who infected me. Started Valtrex immediately voluntarily, was not suggested by physician.
Test results:
HERPESELECT = HSV-1 Ab, IgG = 3.93; HSV-2 Ab, IgG = 5.14.
IGM = HSV-1 Ab, IgM = negative; HSV-2 Ab, IgM = negative
1. Please explain "shedding" and "active infection".
2. Please explain your statement " penetrative sex is more "efficient" for transmission than "rubbing".
3. If no visable lesions, no symptoms, not "shedding", taking 500 mg Valtrex daily, what are the possiblities of infecting someone else during intercourse?
4. Per my tests results, I am I considered a "low" risk or "high" risk?
Thank you for your help, am trying to get myself educated.
I am 58 year old, single for many years, woman, with several past partners (but not permiscuious). Recently, tested positive for HSV-1 (which I have had for as long as I can remember-only have an outbreak on lips when over exposed to the sun), but also tested positive for HSV-2, which is new, totally unsuspected, and shocking (test results below). Don't know when or who infected me. Started Valtrex immediately voluntarily, was not suggested by physician.
Test results:
HERPESELECT = HSV-1 Ab, IgG = 3.93; HSV-2 Ab, IgG = 5.14.
IGM = HSV-1 Ab, IgM = negative; HSV-2 Ab, IgM = negative
1. Please explain "shedding" and "active infection".
2. Please explain your statement " penetrative sex is more "efficient" for transmission than "rubbing".
3. If no visable lesions, no symptoms, not "shedding", taking 500 mg Valtrex daily, what are the possiblities of infecting someone else during intercourse?
4. Per my tests results, I am I considered a "low" risk or "high" risk?
Thank you for your help, am trying to get myself educated.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the Forum. The results that you report indicate that you are infected with both HSV-1 and HSV-2. It appears from your post that you have been reading threads on this or other sites to learn about the infection. Your situation is shared by the majority of people who have the infections in that you were not aware that they are infected. I will do my best to answer your questions but in general, many of these questions and information about herpes can be obtained by accessing excellent informational web sites such as the one run by the American Social Health Association (disclosure, Dr. Handsfield and I are both on the Board of Directors of ASHA).
Once a person has herpes the infection is chronic. In some people the infection will cause occasional clinical recurrences and in others it will not. Either way however, even without the appearance of recognized lesions it would be expected that you will be shedding the virus about 10% of the time. This means that the virus will be present on the skin. Persons without lesions who are asymptomatically shedding the virus can infect others. Now, for your questions:
1. See above. Some people use the term "active infection" to refer to when there are herpetic skin lesions on the skin. In fact however, as I mentioned, even without lesions the virus can be present on the skin.
2. The virus is transmitted, although not terribly efficiently through direct contact. Sexual intercourse (which is penetrative) is more likely to spread the infection, if shedding is occurring , than simply "rubbing" or touching.
3. Daily valacyclovir as you are taking it will reduce the risk of you transmitting infection to a non-infected partner with whom you are regularly sexually active with by about 50%. In the major study of this target, persons who did not take valacyclovir infected partners at a rate of about 6% per year and with valacyclovir the rate dropped to about 3% per year.
4. It is hard to assign risks. You have HSV and my advice would be to assume that you could give it to a sex partner if they do not already have the infection and, because of that, take steps to reduce that risk. The steps recommended for reducing risk are: 1. Tell your partner you are infected, 2. Take daily valacyclovir, 3. Use condoms, and 4. Do not have sex if lesions are present. By following these steps people can go for years without infecting their sex partners.
Hope this helps. Please take a look at the web site, it is very helpful. EWH
Once a person has herpes the infection is chronic. In some people the infection will cause occasional clinical recurrences and in others it will not. Either way however, even without the appearance of recognized lesions it would be expected that you will be shedding the virus about 10% of the time. This means that the virus will be present on the skin. Persons without lesions who are asymptomatically shedding the virus can infect others. Now, for your questions:
1. See above. Some people use the term "active infection" to refer to when there are herpetic skin lesions on the skin. In fact however, as I mentioned, even without lesions the virus can be present on the skin.
2. The virus is transmitted, although not terribly efficiently through direct contact. Sexual intercourse (which is penetrative) is more likely to spread the infection, if shedding is occurring , than simply "rubbing" or touching.
3. Daily valacyclovir as you are taking it will reduce the risk of you transmitting infection to a non-infected partner with whom you are regularly sexually active with by about 50%. In the major study of this target, persons who did not take valacyclovir infected partners at a rate of about 6% per year and with valacyclovir the rate dropped to about 3% per year.
4. It is hard to assign risks. You have HSV and my advice would be to assume that you could give it to a sex partner if they do not already have the infection and, because of that, take steps to reduce that risk. The steps recommended for reducing risk are: 1. Tell your partner you are infected, 2. Take daily valacyclovir, 3. Use condoms, and 4. Do not have sex if lesions are present. By following these steps people can go for years without infecting their sex partners.
Hope this helps. Please take a look at the web site, it is very helpful. EWH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No shedding is asymptomatic and unpredictable- sorry. EWH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I can't imagne why you would get another test. the chances that the result would be different are very, very low. If you do for sme strange reason, 30 days should be more than enough. EWH
If I decide to have another blood test, how long before testing should I stop taking Valtrex?
Is there a way to tell when I'm "shedding"?
Thank you for your quick response. As I have further questions, I'll ask.
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.
