Where did this come from?

[newrecruit68]

Hi, 51 year old male married 25 years.  I never cheated on my wife.  I do not think she ever cheated either.  She left in Feb of this year.  I met 1 new female friend about 4 months ago and have had unprotected sex multiple times.  She had been tested when she left her husband 2 years ago for all STD's by her OB-GYN , all came back clear/negative. Says she did not have sex again until she met me.  About three weeks ago we had to wait about a week to have sex because she felt irritation in her vagina, I noticed a heavy white discharge.  No visible sores.  Yesterday I was visually diagnosed with Herpes 2 by my doctor.  I had just about every classic symptom of a primary OB.  She went back to her OB-GYN to be tested for herpes.  Get the results back today:  negative ,OB-GYN said she has been exposed to Herpes 1 but nothing on the Herpes 2.    I have never had a cold sore, she says she has not either.  She was married 23 years.  Her ex husband has Herpes 2 and contracted it before they were married. The only time they were careful was during one of his breakout which he did not have very many.

She says she has never had a breakout.  Her OB-GYN says she does not need a third test as she has come back negative twice.  Both are convinced she does not have herpes 2.

Could I have been carrying this for 25 years and now all of a sudden have a break out??  Is she having a false negative?  Can you have unprotected sex as they did for 23 years and dodge the bullet?  Could she be a carrier with out showing up on a test? Please any help would be appreciated.  If she is not infected I want to make sure I don't give her the gift.   Thanks for your help.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

A visual diagnosis cannot sort out HSV 1 from HSV 2.  They look exactly the same.  Also, when clinicians diagnose by looking alone, they are wrong 20% of the time.  

Since your current partner is negative for HSV 2, and could not be the source of an infection for you, I would recommend that you get a type sepcific antibody test now and see your status.  If you are negative for HSV 2, then you don't have HSV 2, with a high degree of certainty.  

So if you test negative by antibody test for HSV 2, then the options are:

1) you have HSV 1 genitally or
2) you don't have genital herpes.  

Yes, she could have had sex with him for 23 years and not gotten herpes.  Now I"m wondering about the accuracy of his diagnosis, aren't you?  Genital herpes is not always HSV 2, though many clinicians believe that still, after years of HSV 1 genital infection growing and growing.

Let me know if I can be of more help.

Terri

[Halez07]

A related discussion, Help please was started.

[Paula_Carvalho]

A related discussion, Test Results was started.

[MrFisk]

A related discussion, Herpes was started.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Yes, you could have herpes for 25 years and not have an outbreak, but if this is HSV 2, that is very unlikely.  
It is also very unlikely that if she really does have HSV 2, that she would test negative for the antibody twice.  
The timing of the antibody test has little do with when you first have symptoms and much more to do with when you last had sex with someone who could have infected your.  This person appears to not fit that category.  Your antibody test should be very accurate now.

Terri

[newrecruit68]

Thank you for the comments, Just a couple things if you could clarify for me please.  Could I have harboured this for 25 years with no symptoms and and then all of a sudden it pops up?  Also could she test negative twice and produce a false negative twice?  And lastly I have called my Dr for blood test.  I first noticed the outbreak a week ago Wed,  is it too early / too late for a accurate test?  Thanks so much.