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Test Reliability
I posted this in the Herpes forum, but got no response... so here we go
I had an unprotected sexual encounter about 3 weeks ago. About a week later, I started itching "down there" (vaginal/anal) area. I looked at myself with a mirror and nothing seemed odd except a little discharge (whitish). So I made an appt with my gyn doc. She did a full exam and said it looked like bac vag, but did a bunch of tests based on the fact that I had unprotected sex about 10 days prior to that. So I made sure she did a herpes test as well. I got a call about 4 days later, everything came back fine except my herpes test. She told me "you tested + for HSV2" Obviously I was in shock so after reading a bunch of stuff, I called to find out my numbers and what type of test. She said there were no numbers, she said this was my result:
HSV IgM +
HSV IgG -
So she said you definitely were recently exposed to HSV2. I don't wanna go around telling people this if it is not accurate. I just (3 weeks after exposure) looked myself down there with a big mirror and everything really looks normal. There is still some white discharge up in there and a little comes out in my underwear, but that's been happening since I went off of NuvaRing about a month ago... I just don't know what to do!
I had an unprotected sexual encounter about 3 weeks ago. About a week later, I started itching "down there" (vaginal/anal) area. I looked at myself with a mirror and nothing seemed odd except a little discharge (whitish). So I made an appt with my gyn doc. She did a full exam and said it looked like bac vag, but did a bunch of tests based on the fact that I had unprotected sex about 10 days prior to that. So I made sure she did a herpes test as well. I got a call about 4 days later, everything came back fine except my herpes test. She told me "you tested + for HSV2" Obviously I was in shock so after reading a bunch of stuff, I called to find out my numbers and what type of test. She said there were no numbers, she said this was my result:
HSV IgM +
HSV IgG -
So she said you definitely were recently exposed to HSV2. I don't wanna go around telling people this if it is not accurate. I just (3 weeks after exposure) looked myself down there with a big mirror and everything really looks normal. There is still some white discharge up in there and a little comes out in my underwear, but that's been happening since I went off of NuvaRing about a month ago... I just don't know what to do!
You are going to have to get yourself retested, unfortunately, if you want to get to the bottom of this. The IgM tests for herpes are notoriously inaccurate, and the chance of a false positive is high. Since your IgG is negative, if you do have HSV-2, it would be a recent infection. But I would not ever use the word "definite" with a IgM HSV test.
So, if you do have an outbreak, you can get that PCR swabbed and typed to see if are are infact HSV-2 positive. If you do, make sure to go in the first 1-2 days of the outbreak for best results. I would avoid culture if positive because of the strong chance of a false negative.
If you continue to be asymptomatic, you are just going to have to wait 3 months post exposure and retake an IgG type specific test. That is really the only way to accurately diagnose HSV in asymptomatic cases.
So, if you do have an outbreak, you can get that PCR swabbed and typed to see if are are infact HSV-2 positive. If you do, make sure to go in the first 1-2 days of the outbreak for best results. I would avoid culture if positive because of the strong chance of a false negative.
If you continue to be asymptomatic, you are just going to have to wait 3 months post exposure and retake an IgG type specific test. That is really the only way to accurately diagnose HSV in asymptomatic cases.
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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.
