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Low Positive HSV 2, Few Questions
Yesterday I received the results from an 8 panel STD test I took. The doctor called me and told me I tested positive for HSV 2. I checked my results online and saw a test score of 1.23. After researching this site and others I learned about false positives and the gray area of scores below 3.5. Naturally I am being retested with the WBLOT to get confirmatory results.
I have genital no symptoms at all. The last person I had sex with was in early February, but we started having sex in February. The person I had sex with before her has gotten an STD panel and tested negative for everything. About two weeks ago I got really sick-- fever, coughing, stuffy nose, spitting out nasty brown stuff, fatigue. I have allergy/sinus problems and have gotten sick like this many times throughout my life time. A week after this sickness went away I got a canker sore inside my mouth. I've also gotten canker sores a lot throughout my life because of high stress situations.
My questions:
1) Can I assume that if I were to have contracted herpes it would have been from my partner in February? I had a lot of unprotected sex with the partner before that tested negative, so I figure she would most likely have tested positive if I was infected at the time.
2) Is there anyway the sinus infection and canker sore was an outbreak? I've had both in my life before, but I did not look at the canker sore to see if it looked different just because it felt the same as all the others. Also, I did not develop the canker sore until a week after I was feeling completely fine.
3) Even though it is less common, I am worried about my hsv 2 being oral. Should I stop kissing my current girlfriend? I don't want to take any more chances of her getting infected.
4) My girlfriend has given me oral sex multiple times over the past few weeks. Should she be worried about contracting hsv 2 if I am, in fact, infected? Is it worth for her to get tested or is it too early on for the infection to appear?
Thanks for your time. The advice you people give on this forum is remarkable. Just reading through everyone's stories has not only given me hope, but has helped me start to come to terms with an unfortunate reality.
I have genital no symptoms at all. The last person I had sex with was in early February, but we started having sex in February. The person I had sex with before her has gotten an STD panel and tested negative for everything. About two weeks ago I got really sick-- fever, coughing, stuffy nose, spitting out nasty brown stuff, fatigue. I have allergy/sinus problems and have gotten sick like this many times throughout my life time. A week after this sickness went away I got a canker sore inside my mouth. I've also gotten canker sores a lot throughout my life because of high stress situations.
My questions:
1) Can I assume that if I were to have contracted herpes it would have been from my partner in February? I had a lot of unprotected sex with the partner before that tested negative, so I figure she would most likely have tested positive if I was infected at the time.
2) Is there anyway the sinus infection and canker sore was an outbreak? I've had both in my life before, but I did not look at the canker sore to see if it looked different just because it felt the same as all the others. Also, I did not develop the canker sore until a week after I was feeling completely fine.
3) Even though it is less common, I am worried about my hsv 2 being oral. Should I stop kissing my current girlfriend? I don't want to take any more chances of her getting infected.
4) My girlfriend has given me oral sex multiple times over the past few weeks. Should she be worried about contracting hsv 2 if I am, in fact, infected? Is it worth for her to get tested or is it too early on for the infection to appear?
Thanks for your time. The advice you people give on this forum is remarkable. Just reading through everyone's stories has not only given me hope, but has helped me start to come to terms with an unfortunate reality.
your testing was done too early to speculate about the odds of a false positive at this point.
Thanks. Final question: What do you have to say about my situation and the likelihood of having a false positive?
she'll have to see if herpes was included with her std testing. many folks assume a yearly pap test is std testing and it isn't so ask questions and find out!
actually 80% of folks who contract genital herpes have symptoms, it's just that they are often so mild that they don't think herpes as a cause.
only about 3% of all oral herpes infections are due to hsv2. it's not likely you have hsv2 orally even if you did contract it genitally.
actually 80% of folks who contract genital herpes have symptoms, it's just that they are often so mild that they don't think herpes as a cause.
only about 3% of all oral herpes infections are due to hsv2. it's not likely you have hsv2 orally even if you did contract it genitally.
Does the IGG tests that labs use also have a high false positive rate? This is what I have read. If it's only the IGM tests that have a high false positive rate then should I not have much hope that my IGG test score of 1.23 was a false positive?
She got an STD test before we were involved and was clean. Now that we have been having oral sex for a month do you think she should get another test? Or should she wait another three months?
I believe what you are saying is that it is unlikely i have hsv 2 orally only because most people have genital hsv 2? I haven't shown any symptoms, but MOST people who do have herpes don't show symptoms if I'm correct. So there is a more than likely chance that it is safe to kiss my girlfriend. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
She got an STD test before we were involved and was clean. Now that we have been having oral sex for a month do you think she should get another test? Or should she wait another three months?
I believe what you are saying is that it is unlikely i have hsv 2 orally only because most people have genital hsv 2? I haven't shown any symptoms, but MOST people who do have herpes don't show symptoms if I'm correct. So there is a more than likely chance that it is safe to kiss my girlfriend. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
it's being sexually responsible for both parties to get full std testing at the proper times before engaging in sexual contact with a new partner. It lets you both know who has what from the gitgo as well as lets you know if you need to be worried if a condom breaks or not. we don't test for hpv so using a condom for a new relationship is always in your best interest regardless :)
the herpes igm test in theory would reflect a newly acquired infection. The current tests we have have a high false positive rate and cause more worry than good so current CDC guidelines are that it not be used on adults for the purpose of diagnosing herpes but many labs still use the test.
no reason to think you have hsv2 orally.
the herpes igm test in theory would reflect a newly acquired infection. The current tests we have have a high false positive rate and cause more worry than good so current CDC guidelines are that it not be used on adults for the purpose of diagnosing herpes but many labs still use the test.
no reason to think you have hsv2 orally.
What I meant is that I could have confused what I thought was a sinus infection and canker sore for "fever like symptoms" and a "cold sore". What do you think about this possibility?
The test results were IGG, not IGM. Just to clarify-- whats the difference?
Even though the chances are small that I have the oral version of hsv 2, would you recommend not kissing my significant other just in case I do? Or should I only be worried about transmitting if I have an outbreak?
She did not get a full STD test. Should I recommend that she does? Or is it too early since we only started having oral sex a month ago?
What do you have to say about my first question. Is it likely I was not infected at the time?
Thanks for your answers Grace!
The test results were IGG, not IGM. Just to clarify-- whats the difference?
Even though the chances are small that I have the oral version of hsv 2, would you recommend not kissing my significant other just in case I do? Or should I only be worried about transmitting if I have an outbreak?
She did not get a full STD test. Should I recommend that she does? Or is it too early since we only started having oral sex a month ago?
What do you have to say about my first question. Is it likely I was not infected at the time?
Thanks for your answers Grace!
sinus infection and canker sores are not herpes symptoms.
you need to wait at least 4 months after you last had sex for the WB. At this point since you tested too early, I recommend just waiting another month or two and retesting with a type specific igg again. also make sure the test results that were positive were igg and not igm herpes tests.
your testing was also too early for hiv and hepatitis too.
no reason to think you have hsv2 orally.
you and your partner should be using proper precautions for sex and oral sex since not enough time has passed for your testing to be accurate. did she also get full std testing done to know her own status?
grace
you need to wait at least 4 months after you last had sex for the WB. At this point since you tested too early, I recommend just waiting another month or two and retesting with a type specific igg again. also make sure the test results that were positive were igg and not igm herpes tests.
your testing was also too early for hiv and hepatitis too.
no reason to think you have hsv2 orally.
you and your partner should be using proper precautions for sex and oral sex since not enough time has passed for your testing to be accurate. did she also get full std testing done to know her own status?
grace
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
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.
