Advice Needed – Retest?

[distressed_2022]

Hi Terri –
Thanks for still being available to answer all these questions!

I am a 53 yo female. I had unprotected sex 3 times between 12/31/2021 and 1/13/2022. I took a Quest IGG test and got 30.4 on the HSV1 – which was a surprise and negative for HSV 2. I tested 2/23/2022 (6 weeks from 1/13/2022). I don’t recall any symptoms of either, but I later found out in March that my boyfriend in January tested low positive for HSV2. Regarding the HSV1 I do recall thinking I had a weird blister like thing on the inside of my bottom lip earlier in the year so maybe that’s what it was? I never got a typical outbreak and quite frankly don’t know how long I’ve had it. From all this reading it seems that my prior boyfriend’s result may be a false positive but he has not shared that he retested or anything so of course I am freaked out.

When I talked to my gyn she was upset that the NP gave me the test in the first place and highly discouraged me retesting citing false positives and the fallible nature of the tests. She believed January guy probably is false positive.

I have not had genital symptoms to my knowledge but the fact that they guy in January tested low positive caused my subsequent relationship to end and I am heartbroken. I relayed what my gyn said but understandably he wants proof I don’t have HSV2 and asked me to retest. This all happened in May 2022.

I am freaked out that I’m going to get a positive for HSV2 because I have HSV1. It’s now been almost 7 months. Do the IGG tests get more accurate, so that I could trust a result? or would you just suggest I move forward with the WB which probably would need to go through you? Also, in your opinion if I tested negative for HSV2 at 6 weeks, is that a good sign? I’ve read that 70 percent should seroconvert – correct?

Thanks again.

[Terri Warren]

Yes, 70% of those who are going to test positive do so at 6 weeks.
If you want to avoid the chance of a false positive, you should do the blot, yes
And your partner should confirm as well if he has a low positive.
Why did the relationship end again?

Terri

[distressed_2022]

Hi Terri. Thanks for reply. Everything seemed ok until I got a “it’s not you it’s me” text. Suspicious I headed to the gyn right afterward. Got a panel ordered but waited until February to test the bloodwork because I knew it would have been too soon to do so in January.
I called him about the HSV1 and asked if he knew. He denied it and went to get tested and was negative for it but low positive for HSV2. I know the test misses 30% of HSV 1 so he still could have had it.
With my 30.4 though that would mean I’ve had it a while correct?
Also from your reply it sounds like you wouldn’t even bother with the IGG then to test for 2? I had my primary order just the test for 2 thinking maybe that would be more accurate? I have to go for a CBC for something else so I asked her to submit a request. To be clear this is not the gyn I originally saw. Thanks again.

[distressed_2022]

Hi Terri. Reread this. I had 2 relationships. The second one ended because he was not confident in my negative result for HSV 2. We had been intimate. He had tested negative to everything including HSV prior to us being together. He also tested negative after I told him I was positive for HSV1. Said he was not concerned with this one. He loved me but in the end he couldn’t get past the low positive my prior partner had. Eventually in May He asked if I was going to retest and I said no and told him what my doctor had told me. That I tested in the right timeframe and I should be confident I don’t have ghsv2. Testing was unnecessary. I didn’t get into the false positives. He’s pretty black and white. He wanted a test showing I’m still negative. So here we are 3 months later. I have severe anxiety and lost the love of my life. He had been my college sweetheart. I’m also embarrassed by the whole thing. I never thought I would be in this situation at my age but here I am.

[Terri Warren]

I’m missing something here.
If he’s the love of your life and he wants more certainty that you are negative, why are you not doing the western blot, like right away? How cares what your doctor said? If he wants more reassurance, then he does. I’m just missing something

Terri

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by Terri Warren.

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