hsv 2 testing question

[Notsurewhy2011]

Hi doctor,
I m a 39 yr woman and in Feb 2011, I became intimate with a man that I had been dating.  He performed oral sex and then we had sex with a condom.  Later we had unprotected sex for several minutes.  2  weeks later during my period, I had irritation in my vagina. I treated it with a one day yeast applicator. Almost half of the irritation was gone the next day. Irritation came back and 3 days later I went to a clinic  for a full std bloodwork   (2.5 weeks past exposure). During  the pelvic exam, unbeknownst to me, I left the cap of the yeast applicator on and it was pushed up into my vagina.  With much effor it was  removed. Yeast infection was not treated.  I never had any burning, itching, cottage cheese or discharge or foul order or pain only irritation, sores, blisters. The bloodwork including hsv 1 and 2 came back negative.  2 days later I went to a private gynocologist to treat the irritation he looked under a microscope and said it was fungus. I bought the oneday yeast treatment he recommended and the next morning all of my irritation was gone.  He also said I had a little of cervical erosion and prescribed flagyl.  I have three children.
In Dec of 2011, I had my annual  bloodwork. It was sent to a local lab and my results were fine except for hsv 2.  hsv I (0.01 igG negative) and hsv II (1.22 igG positive).The negative range was 0.00-0.90 Hadley (the street address is  the name of the range).   I retested with a new doctor for HSV 2 test via quest labs on 1/23/2012. Result was negative ( 0.68 igg HSV II herpe select AB ).  
In 2010 my   Hsv I (0.15 igg negative) and HSV II was (0.35 igg (negative). I tested after seperating from my husband. My husband was my 1st partner, and I have had very few partners (3) since him. I do not have casual or unprotected sex.  I cannot afford the wb, can I accept the herpe select and move on with my life?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

It isn't that they aren't good, it's that they aren't as sensitive for HSV 1 as they are for HSV 2.  They pick up about 97% of HSV 2 infections, but only 91% of HSV 1 infections.

Terri

[Notsurewhy2011]

Thank you so much. I am grateful for your prompt response. Did you mean that igg tests are not good for hsv 1?  I agree, hsv is very common. Blessings.

[Notsurewhy2011]

Sorry, I made a typo above. I meant I had no sores, blisters only irritation.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

In a word, YES.  You can accept the herpeselect and move on with your life, at least that's would I would recommend if I had a patient who was in your situation.  Your only positive HSV 2 test was in the extremely low positive range, and if it was new infection, I would expect it to be higher now.  

Your HSV 1 status is another matter.  Remember that 56% of the US population between 14-49 has HSV 1, so it is very common.  The test you had done is not as good at picking up HSV 1 as it is HSV 2.  However, I don't think knowing your HSV 1 status is quite as important as knowing your HSV 2 status.  If at some point you want to get clearer, and you get richer, a western blot will help you sort that out ;-)

Terri