Equivocal HSV 2

[badecision73]

10 weeks ago I received a massage from an older independent masseuse. During the session she started performing unprotected fellatio, and it went on vigorously for a minute or so before I came to my senses & stopped it. (Pretty sure that I’m not the only one she has done this for) That was the only sexual contact I’ve had for 7 months, and previous to this I was tested & STD free. 3 weeks after the event I noticed a very small dark red spot (less than 1cmm diamter) on the top/middle of my shaft. Under the skin, not raised, after a dab of neosporin it was gone the next day. (I assumed it was a bruise from masturbating) 6 weeks after the incident I’ve had tingling & pain throughout my arm. At 9 weeks I did a complete std panel test at a consumer testing facility, and all were negative except for a 1.01 H equivocal result with the test for HSV 2. (the index was .91-1.10 = equivocal, greater than 1.10 positive, less than .90 negative. (HSV 1 was clearly negative at .35) This week is week 10 since the encounter. I have a partner that I clearly don’t want to infect especially since she is 6 months pregnant. Due to the pregnancy we have not been sexually active, and she has been my only sexual partner for years. What I’ve read is that “equivocal” means re-test in 4-6 weeks, but there is definitely a good chance of infection. I’m looking for some guidance as to what should be my best course of action, which of course would include telling my partner. All the HSV 1 and 2 tests I’ve had in the past have been well below .90, so I’m certainly fearing that I do indeed have the virus. (especially considering that one disappearing spot & arm issues) My question is, what steps would you recommend from this point?

[Terri Warren]

It would be very unusual to get HSV 2 from receiving oral sex indeed. I seriously doubt that this occurred but now that you have an equivocal test, it is impossible to say for certain. The small dark spot to me sounds like a little bruise from vigorous oral sex, perhaps? I think if I were in your situation, I would ask the masseuse to be tested for HSV 2. Pay for it and get it behind you. Tell her the situation you are in and about the pregnancy and the spot. Also, if you haven’t been having sex, it seems like you could wait another 6 weeks and get a western blot and be certain. Is there a change happening that you now feel the need to have sex with your partner?

Terri

[badecision73]

No, there’s not necessarily. My concern now is safety in regards to the result I received, and of course I do hope we will have sex again at some point. I will proceed as you have guided in regards to the masseuse, and I will re-test with the IgG test at 13 weeks. (end of the month) If that is still equivocal then Western Blot since the WB appears to be a very difficult test to get. Thank you for your guidance.

[Terri Warren]

OK, sounds like a plan. We can get you the western blot, no worries there. I would prefer that we do it at 16 weeks.

Terri

[badecision73]

Sounds good. Last post, what about my issues with my arm aching & tingling? It’s been going on for almost a month. Could that be a symptom of HSV 2 if the equivocal test does indeed turn positive? (meant to ask that in the first post)

[Terri Warren]

No, I don’t think your arm issues have anything at all to do with a herpes infection, if you have that, which I actually doubt. However, I think that the arm tingling and pain is something you will want to run by your doctor or health care provider, completely separate from your herpes concern.

This was your final post on this subscription. If you have more questions you would like to ask, please renew your subscription.

Terri

[badecision73]

Clearly the wait for additional testing is going to be a hard one. I’m acting now like my 9 week 1.01 H HSV 2 equivocal result is positive. Especially since my previous HSV testing over the years has been clearly negative. Since getting that result I keep thinking back over the past two months looking for symptoms. (i.e. the numbness & aching I’ve already mentioned, I had a leg pain off and on for maybe a week, that spot I mentioned, etc) Even though I haven’t seen anything that is clearly a patch of blisters. (nothing painful in my groin area at all beyond what I would call normal itching, although sometimes I think I feel tingling) I know anxiety can also conjure up a lot of symptoms, so now I just don’t know. I contacted the masseuse, and I had to explain what the term HSV meant, and she said she was at her doctors office in January and had a good report. I was very respectful, and offered to pay for testing, but she kindly insisted that she was well taken care of in that regard. She wished me luck, and that was it. (although she said she appreciated the phone call, and I felt like that was the right thing to do regardless of the outcome) With all of this in mind, a few questions…1.) Have many cases have you seen of HSV 2 being passed from someone’s mouth to someone’s genitals? 2.) I feel like my situation is high risk, in your opinion is that a fair assessment? 3.) I’m washing my hands every time after I touch my genitals. With my situation my mouth & hands should be fine correct? (in other words, is kissing ok? Right now all I can do is keep an eye on things, and IgG test again at the end of 3 months. (with WB at 16w)

[Terri Warren]

I have not seen a case in my clinic of someone getting HSV 2 from someone’s mouth but I have read reports of this online.
Do I think this is a high risk situation for HSV 2? No, I don’t.
I don’t know how often you are washing your hands or touching your genitals but don’t get too carried away with this.
Yup, kissing should be OK, given your type of exposure.

Terri

[badecision73]

As of yesterday in addition to the Arm issues, (which I’m getting looked into), my left calf feels warm inside. Not quite a tingle, and no pain, but almost like I have a mild heating pad inside my calf muscle. I still haven’t had any ” breakouts” beyond the one brief spot 2 months ago, and a lot of what I’ve read says that tingling or pain can mean something is about to happen. It’s the combination of right arm/left leg weirdness that’s concerning. Have you seen symptoms like this before?

[Terri Warren]

I have not seen theses symptoms associated with a true case of genital herpes, no.

Terri

[badecision73]

I want to thank you for answering my questions. Despite how rare this kind of transmission may be, I think the symptoms occurring with my body are more than just coincidence. (This week has added left foot pain and a couple of microscopic spots below the head of my penis). I will be getting the igg to confirm the equivocal next week which is officially 3 months. I expect to confirm as positive. Thanks again, and please delete this thread. I have to tell my partner, and they will be hurt if they find out I publicly asked about this before talking to them.

[badecision73]

I had an IgG retest at 12 weeks for both HSV 1 and HSV 2. This time instead of HSV 2 being equivocal at 1.01 it was negative at .82. (HSV 1 still negative as well) What do you make of my number going down? I don’t know if it matters, but the test I had at 2 months was from my right arm, and this one was from my left. Also, I had finished a dose pack of methylprednosone for a sinus infection 7 days before the re-test. Would that have affected the negative result? Just trying to determine how confident I should be with the negative result.

[Terri Warren]

I think is more likely that your test is actually negative, but I cannot know for certain. The arm the test was taken from has no impact at all on the test.
I think a herpes western blot would be helpful for you to sort out these test results.

Your subscription actually expired a question ago. Feel free to renew if you have more questions.

Terri

[badecision73]

Nurse Warren thank you. I purchased additional questions on the 28th, and I hope the record of that still shows. I will be contacting your office for a WB, but there is one question from my last post causing some anxiety. I mentioned that I had taken steroid pack for another issue that I finished 7 days before my last test. Could that treatment have impacted my last negative igg test? In other words, could that treatment have destroyed or suppressed the creation of hsv antibodies? I apologize that these questions are a little overboard. Thank you for the work you do here.

[Terri Warren]

well, I guess it is possible that the steroids impacted your antibody test but it is unlikely. How many days of steroids did you take?

Terri

[badecision73]

It was a 6 day treatment that I finished 7 days before the test.

[Terri Warren]

I did find your payment, by the way, or I should say our webmaster did. The issue was that you did the initial questions and two follow up questions twice, rather than choosing the first set of follow up questions. If you do post more, choose second set of follow up questions. Anyway, we go it, no worries!
I seriously doubt that only six days of steroids at the point at which you took it would interfere with the results. However, do you plan to test again after 16 weeks? If there was possibly any interference, it would be completely gone by then.

Terri

[badecision73]

I do still plan to test at 16 weeks. For the past week and half my left leg has been kind of tight in the calf with some mild occasional aching all the way up to my thigh & hip. From what I’ve read this is another possible symptom even though there hasn’t been a classic outbreak. Due to this I’m pretty sure I still have cause for hsv concern.

[Terri Warren]

Usually, if there is leg pain, it is in the back of the thigh, not the calf

Terri

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