Auntiejessie,
Thanks for your reassurance that I don’t have HSV2. Glad to hear it from someone who is knowledgeable to this virus. To answer your question.
Yes my partner in June did performed oral on me; I also reciprocated the act. However I am wondering how my initial antibodies would be that high (30.20),17 days post exposure and why it has not risen on follow up test results if it is indeed a new infection. Everything thing I read so far would be low positive or equivocal.
I am currently seeing a dermatologist who took a swab of the anal rash(raw skin) back in October which came back NAAT negative on both. Last week she took a sample of a skin pigmentation. I am hoping to get the results back this week.
Several follow questions if I may:
1. If this is indeed a new infection, would you consider the anal rash and bumps that did not blister the primary outbreak. I did not have flu like symptoms (up until 3 days ago) or swollen lymp node.
2. Going back to HSV2, I read 12-16 weeks off antivirals is recommended before retesting (I stopped taking antivirals 14 weeks from last IGG test) should I take one more test at 16+ weeks to be definitive? (I understand that false positive results could be costly). I worry that the HSV1, if old infection could delay HSV2 antibodies production.
3. In my case, would you recommend Western Blot?
Thanks in advance
Did your partner in June give you oral sex? You don't mention that, but if she didn't, you couldn't have gotten genital hsv1 from her, which means that your hsv1 infection is a pre-existing oral infection. 90% of people with hsv1 orally never get any symptoms.
If she did give you oral, testing at 3 weeks means that your antibodies for hsv1 could have developed. The IgM is supposed to look for new infections, but it's a terribly unreliable test, and is wrong at least as often as it is right, so don't rely on that.
Has anyone tested the pimples you are seeing? It would be really easy for them to pop one and test the fluid in it and find out what's causing it. Maybe it's time for a dermatologist.
Your hsv2 is conclusively negative. You don't need any more hsv2 testing, and if you keep testing for that, you're likely to get a false positive. Those are fairly common, and besides the stress they cause, they take weeks and several hundred dollars to unravel.
If the antivirals aren't helping, I'd doubt this is herpes.