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Questioning Results
I had a sore appear on my labia that looked similar to what I would expect herpes to look like. It took a bit of time to see the doctor, so by time I had been swabbed the sore was nearly healed. Bloodwork was also performed, but it had only been 4 weeks post exposure.
Would either of these results be accurate based on the fact that the sore was nearly healed, and that the bloodwork was performed so soon?
I appreciate any insight.
Would either of these results be accurate based on the fact that the sore was nearly healed, and that the bloodwork was performed so soon?
I appreciate any insight.
to err on the side of caution, repeat your igg blood tests again about 3 months after the last time you had sex. should you get a return of symptoms genitally before then, be seen within 48 hours for a repeat lesion culture and typing instead.
stop back and update your post with your final test results :)
stop back and update your post with your final test results :)
Grace,
Thanks for responding. The results did come in, and are both negative. I am curious if I should accept those, or retest blood. I would love your opinion.
Thanks for responding. The results did come in, and are both negative. I am curious if I should accept those, or retest blood. I would love your opinion.
did you get your results back yet?
Thank you for responding :)
Sorry. I didn't phrase that well. I believe I would have been initially exposed about a month before testing. My symptoms appeared about 3 days after I may have been exposed.
Should I retest next month?
Sorry. I didn't phrase that well. I believe I would have been initially exposed about a month before testing. My symptoms appeared about 3 days after I may have been exposed.
Should I retest next month?
It sounds like your doctor is quite knowledgeable about herpes, since she did both a swab and blood test. I agree the swab test is likely to be negative.
This isn't necessarily a recently acquired infection. That's a good bet, since it's the first time. However, almost half of apparent first time infections are actually recurrent outbreaks in people who had no symptoms when first infected. Four weeks is really too long; if sexual exposure was any more than ~2 weeks before the sore appeared, probably it wasn't from that event. Can you think back to other exposures, or perhaps earlier symptoms you didn't pay attention to at the time?
If it's herpes, and really the first infection, at 4 weeks there's around a 50-60% chance the blood test will be positive for whichever virus type (HSV1 or HSV2) is the cause.
This isn't necessarily a recently acquired infection. That's a good bet, since it's the first time. However, almost half of apparent first time infections are actually recurrent outbreaks in people who had no symptoms when first infected. Four weeks is really too long; if sexual exposure was any more than ~2 weeks before the sore appeared, probably it wasn't from that event. Can you think back to other exposures, or perhaps earlier symptoms you didn't pay attention to at the time?
If it's herpes, and really the first infection, at 4 weeks there's around a 50-60% chance the blood test will be positive for whichever virus type (HSV1 or HSV2) is the cause.
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.
