Help please

[Halez07]

I am 29 years old. I have been with my husband for over 10 years. We have 2 small children. Due to reasons I would rather not discuss, we have not been intimate since I got pregnant with my daughter. She is 11 months old. I have been completely faithful. I had 2 lesions inside my privates at the end of my last menstrual cycle. I immediately went to my OBGYN. She said it looked like herpes, and asked if my husband gets cold sores. He does. Again though, no sexual contact in almost 2 years. The swab culture came back positive. However, the blood tests were negative for antibodies. They told me it was a brand new infection. They could not even tell me if it was HSV1 or 2. I'm supposed to return in a few weeks for more blood work to see if the antibodies have built up. How is this possible???


This discussion is related to Where did this come from?.

[Fleetwood20]

The first thing to do is confirm that the tests you had were in fact for IgG antibodies (as opposed to PCR on blood or IgM antibodies).

If you are negative for IgG antibodies for both HSV1 and HSV2, then be aware that with HSV1 testing there is a 10% false negative rate.

Hence it is possible that you were infected some time ago and just don't show it in blood testing. Likely though that you'd remember some episode of vaginal discomfort, sometimes the patch of sores can be small but will usually itch a lot.

[Halez07]

no symptoms since

[Halez07]

The sores are gone. It was about a month ago.

[Halez07]

They were both sides. Right in the place a tampon is inserted. Sorry if TMI. Just a small one on each side. How would I get a new infection?

[Life360_Dave]

were the leisons on one side or both as only new infection would be on the opposite side old infections are on one side only.

[Life360_Dave]

I would suggest to retest now with the igg type specific or the wester blot test for confirmation. Like i said a false swab is really the last possibility. Maybe your in the 5% missed test. Please let us know the results as is very interesting and also you might have the sores swab one more time if they are still fresh.

The answer to your issue is testing.

[Halez07]

I don't know how this forum works but I replied as a comment!

[Halez07]

I had some dryness in that area, and had to keep using a tampon, I thought that it was irritated me down there. This is a mess. Ugh

[Halez07]

I'm not sure if they tested for herpes during my pregnancies. I know that I have never had anything happen like this before. No symptoms whatsoever. And no oral sex or vaginal sex in almost 2 years. And they said that I had no antibodies at all for either type. So it's most likely a false negative blood test? Could it be at all possible for it to be a false positive swab? I spoke with my doc about it maybe being herpes zoster, she shut the idea down right away. She said it would not show up on the swab she did. I'm so confused. I have NO IDEA how I could have contracted it.

[Life360_Dave]

Hi, as a general rule a positive swab and a negative blood test does mean a recent infection, lets say in the last 2 weeks maybe. If youve not had any vaginal sex either oral or penis then its has to be a false negtive blood test as even the best tests miss 5% or so infections. Retest to confirm but this is rather strange as you should have had a herpes blood test during your pregnancies.
The  way a swab would be incorrect is a lab mixup.