Received poitive IGG HSV 2

[ishat79]

I am a 33 year old man. I had unprotected sex with a sex worker about 5 weeks ago.I did not have any lesion or other symptoms, I was examined in a clinic because of some slight urethral burning but they did a swab and said it was bacterial in nature. the burning started to get better after taking antibiotics but came back a little so they gave me another type of antibiotics and it went away.

I took an HSV type specific IGG four weeks after this incident and received a positive result for HSV 2 with a value of 1.27. I have an appointment with a doctor next week but I just wanted to check before going if I should just consider this pretty conclusive. I feel terrible and any hope of a false positive may be preventing me from fully accepting my fate.

Also I have two babies at home and a wife. I have told her about what happened, but I wanted to find out the risk first of all from me giving it to my boys from changing their diapers, Also will my wife and I ever be ale to have sex again or would she be doomed to get herpes?

Thank you for your help.

[ishat79]

Thank you very much for your positive words. Hopefully I will take a lesson from this and I would like to thank all the very helpful people on this site for their support and assistance they provide.

[Fleetwood20]

That's a clear negative for HSV! No need for any further testing or consideration of HSV. The tests are pretty sensitive and false positives at low levels like your a quite common. I think it has spooked you a bit, but you are now very safe to move on.

[ishat79]

I am posting my follow up after retesting at 15 weeks. My IGG Herpeselect test came back negative for HSV1 and HSV2 ( HSV1 <.90, HSV2 <.90).

It looks as though I may have received a false positive with the first test. In your opinion should I consider myself free and clear at this point?

Thank you

[ishat79]

I'm just posting as a follow up to the current situation. I am still going to wait until 16 weeks and have the Western Blot test done, but I did take another IGG specific test done at 6 weeks after last sexual encounter and both HSV1 and HSV2 came back negative. Sow far the results I have received are as follows, I will post the Western Blot results when I have that done:

28 days post encounter:
Labcorp Captia IGG type specific  HSV1 negative, HSV2 1.27

36 days post encounter
Labcorp type specific Immunoblot  HSV1 negative, HSV2 negative

43 days post encounter:
Quest Herpeselect IGG type specific HSV1 negative, HSV2 negative

[gracefromHHP]

really nothing you can know for sure at this point. repeat your testing at the more accurate times and go from there. Using the immunoblot for that testing is fine.

[ishat79]

So I received the tests from my doctor that he drew for.

HSV 1/2 PCR blood test was negative for HSV 1 and 2
HSV Type-Specific Immunoblot was negative for HSV1 and HSV2

I know the PCR is fairly useless and the Immunoblot may be to soon, but is this a good sign at all based on my previous low positive?

[gracefromHHP]

you can test for herpes with pcr blood testing but it's not really useful in adults for routine herpes detection. Herpes is not a blood borne infection so looking for it via pcr in blood isn't accurate. It's of limited value outside of research and in newborns. Many practitioners mistakenly test for it this way unfortunately :(

you have to always assume the possibility of a new infection which is why it's best to wait the full time frame so that you aren't testing too early and aren't testing repeatedly and wasting time and money needlessly.

[ishat79]

Ok thank you. Sorry for posting twice.

The doctor ordered the WB because he didn't think it was a new infection, so I'm getting that result but I guess it wont be too helpful.

I was confused as to why my doctor was doing a PCR blood test, would this be for Herpes. I was under the impression this was done with swab test.

[gracefromHHP]

at this point, wait until it's at least 12 weeks post encounter before repeating your herpes igg blood test. If you prefer to go straight to a herpes WB blood test, best to wait a full 16 weeks before the testing.

[Life360_Dave]

No, one has nothing to do with the other.

[ishat79]

Ok I will thank you. I will test for HSV again in four weeks and also do the syphilis test again. I will give the results then.

Is it a lower chance of a false positive since I do not have HSV 1?

[Life360_Dave]

Dont forget syphilis, test for this at 6 weeks. You should post your hiv test results in the hiv prevention forum to make sure its conclusive.

[ishat79]

Thank you for your response, I will retest for HSV2 in four weeks and see if it changes for the better or worse.

I was tested for HIV with the RNA test 28 days after this exposure and was negative, I was also negative for Gono, and Chlamydia. I was given meds for Trich at the clinic because the first round of antibiotics did not completely get rid of my bacterial infection.
I asked if the slight burning after peeing could be urethral herpes but I was told it was not likely because it would be more red and hurt more.

[Life360_Dave]

I assume this was unprotected vaginal sex and if so Its low risk for herpes because she did not have any vaginal sores at the time and a one time affair but It is high risk for other stds like HIV, Gono, Chlamydia, and Trich. I would suggest to test for all std,s including HIV before being intimate with your wife but again herpes would be the lessor of them.

[ishat79]

Sorry I I have a few more questions.
I have been told multiple times I was at low risk for contracting hsv. Is this just because it was one time? Does it matter that this happened in Cambodia? Does geography make a difference in risk factor for diagnosis? I just thought unprotected sex with a sex worker would be a high risk situation.

What are the chances that my wife will get herpes if we use condoms and I am on viral suppressants?

[Life360_Dave]

No you should not.

[ishat79]

Life,

Thank you for your response. I am not really holding out hope that this is not herpes. An infection would have to have come from my contact five weeks ago so it would make sense to be a new infection with a low count.
I don't remember seeing any sores but I was pretty intoxicated. I would say I am one of those unlucky people to get it after one exposure but its not unlucky if I brought it on my self.

In the mean time should I be concerned about changing my sons diapers, and should I have them tested for the virus?

Thank you

[Life360_Dave]

Hi, your number at 4 weeks falls into the false positive range but also may indicate a recent infection. Testing at 8 would be a good indicator. Contracting herpes from a one time affair where she did not have any vaginal sores at the time would be very low risk. Do come back and let us know your next test result. But dont be overly concerned youve contacted herpes,