The numbers: Where can I find examples of what my numbers indicate?

[clllll]

I know I am positive, but I would like to analyze the test results compulsively. No where can I find any indication of the limits of the results and what they mean. IgG HIV1 28.80 IgG HIV2 5.04. I contracted HIV1 35 years ago drinking after an infected person. I only had the initial outbreak with no further outbreaks. I recently had an outbreak of HIV2 with no prior symptoms. I have been monogamous for 38 years. My spouse is negative for both HIV1 and 2. My dermatologist did not order blood testing at time of onset. My GP did. It has been three weeks since HIV2 outbreak onset. Anyway, does lower numbers mean initial outbreak. Is there a chart somewhere other than positive versus negative? Thanks.

[auntiejessi]

So first, you probably mean HSV - herpes simplex virus. HIV is an entirely different illness.

You definitely have hsv1. Your number is high enough to be a definite positive, and while you probably didn't get it from drinking after someone - we know now that's not an efficient way to transmit it, it doesn't really matter. It's a very common virus - 67% of people under 50 have it globally.

Your hsv2 test - why did you test for that? Do you have symptoms?

Lower numbers can often mean a new infection, but it doesn't always. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing when you got it from a blood test.

Your spouse's hsv1 test, by the way, can be a false negative. The hsv1 IgG misses a full 30% of infections. The hsv2 test misses 8%, so it's not as likely that their test is a false negative.

There are false positives on the hsv2 test, though. If you've had symptoms, it's far less likely, but I'm interested in what your symptoms were.