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New HSV 2 Infection?
Help! I am desperate to know if I've recently acquired HSV 2. I'm 51 years old, same sex partner for 22 years so you can imagine why I'm very concerned. I had cold sores as a small child, but never as a teen or as an adult. As far as I know, neither my partner nor I have ever had HSV 2, though he also had HSV 1 cold sores as a child.
I had some symptoms in the top of the butt crack area that I thought was sore from too much wiping. I went to the gyno who said it could be an HSV 2 infection but she wasn't convinced. The sore area has now lasted 30 days but it's slowly healing. She is not convinced it's HSV 2 so she won't give me anti virals. She is saying it should not last 30 days, the DNA (blood) test was negative and my HSV 2 is weakly positive and she doesn't think my symptoms are HSV 2 or HSV 1 related.
With my research, I was wondering if it could be a new infection, and thus the low titers, OR it could be and HSV 1 infection? I'm desperate for answers and she's just not concerned. Help!
DNA blood test HSV 1 and HSV 2: Negative
HSV 1 IGG: 39.90
HSV 2 IGG: 1.52
I had some symptoms in the top of the butt crack area that I thought was sore from too much wiping. I went to the gyno who said it could be an HSV 2 infection but she wasn't convinced. The sore area has now lasted 30 days but it's slowly healing. She is not convinced it's HSV 2 so she won't give me anti virals. She is saying it should not last 30 days, the DNA (blood) test was negative and my HSV 2 is weakly positive and she doesn't think my symptoms are HSV 2 or HSV 1 related.
With my research, I was wondering if it could be a new infection, and thus the low titers, OR it could be and HSV 1 infection? I'm desperate for answers and she's just not concerned. Help!
DNA blood test HSV 1 and HSV 2: Negative
HSV 1 IGG: 39.90
HSV 2 IGG: 1.52
COMMUNITY LEADER
First, 30 days is a long time, whether it's hsv1 or hsv2.
In that 30 days, has she done a culture or PCR swab on it? A culture might not get you much now, but a PCR swab is really sensitive, and even at 30 days, if it's herpes, a PCR swab should be it up and type it.
A 1.52 is really likely to be a false positive - I'd guess around a 75% chance (that's not scientific). It's going to take some time to work that out, but the fastest thing you can do is a PCR swab. If your doctor isn't doing it, get a referral to a dermatologist.
Given that you've been with the same partner for so long, another thing you can do is have your partner get a type specific IgG blood test. If your partner is negative for hsv2, that will lend itself to you having a false positive. It's possible that you could have had it prior to your relationship, so it's not foolproof, but it would help.
Your doctor should be doing things like wound cultures and PCR swabs on this. It could be shingles, herpes, staph or MRSA, or a wide variety of other things, and that your doctor isn't culturing this or doing any swabbing is concerning.
Hang in there. We'll get you through this, and it's a rough time to be dealing with all this, but whatever happens, you'll be okay.
In that 30 days, has she done a culture or PCR swab on it? A culture might not get you much now, but a PCR swab is really sensitive, and even at 30 days, if it's herpes, a PCR swab should be it up and type it.
A 1.52 is really likely to be a false positive - I'd guess around a 75% chance (that's not scientific). It's going to take some time to work that out, but the fastest thing you can do is a PCR swab. If your doctor isn't doing it, get a referral to a dermatologist.
Given that you've been with the same partner for so long, another thing you can do is have your partner get a type specific IgG blood test. If your partner is negative for hsv2, that will lend itself to you having a false positive. It's possible that you could have had it prior to your relationship, so it's not foolproof, but it would help.
Your doctor should be doing things like wound cultures and PCR swabs on this. It could be shingles, herpes, staph or MRSA, or a wide variety of other things, and that your doctor isn't culturing this or doing any swabbing is concerning.
Hang in there. We'll get you through this, and it's a rough time to be dealing with all this, but whatever happens, you'll be okay.
4 Comments
Thank you! My doctor is not very up to date on this issue, she didn't do a swab because she said they are only accurate within the first 2-3 days of an outbreak. I'm now on day 43 and though it's much better, the skin is still red and easily reopens. Do you know how fast titers go up on a new infection? I've had 1.52 1.57 and 1.58 in the last few weeks and I'm worried they are ticking up.
Titers go up at varying rates, but that's way too slow. Has your partner tested yet? This could end all of this herpes discussion for you.
Also, at 43 days, your doctor needs to be doing a wound culture or a PCR swab on it - preferably both - to see what this is.
43 days is way too long for a herpes outbreak, and when you say it breaks open - is it bleeding? A herpes sore shouldn't be bleeding.
There are so many other things that this could be, and your doctor needs to work with you to figure it out.
I hope you get some answers, and soon. Keep us posted.
Also, at 43 days, your doctor needs to be doing a wound culture or a PCR swab on it - preferably both - to see what this is.
43 days is way too long for a herpes outbreak, and when you say it breaks open - is it bleeding? A herpes sore shouldn't be bleeding.
There are so many other things that this could be, and your doctor needs to work with you to figure it out.
I hope you get some answers, and soon. Keep us posted.
Yes, the skin breaks open with a tiny amount of blood. I’m on day 45 now and it seems to be closed but this happened once before when I thought it was healed but it wasn’t.
Thank you so much for your thoughts, it was very helpful.
Thank you so much for your thoughts, it was very helpful.
I hope you get some answers soon. Let me know when you do, and I hope it heals soon.
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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.
