Hsv 1 and hsv 2 positive no symptoms

[Worriedandconfused]

Hello,
I recently ordered a blood test through an std check website for herpes type 1&2 igg. The results came back positive for both; hav 1 being 1.51, and hsv2 being 2.69. I will admit to being promiscuous and having multiple sex partners in the past, but I have never had a cold sore even as a child. I have a couple of times had questionable genital symptoms. Once in 2011 I was getting a lot of infections I had a lesion near the opening of my vagina. I asked them to swab it and dr said it looked more like a cut than herpes and it came back negative. There were a couple other times after having sex it would be sore on one side of opening, but since Drs never did anything about it I always dismissed it as being chafed from sex bc it was never anything overbearing or very visible. I’ve also had what I thought was a couple bug bites On butt cheeks but that was almost 6 years ago. I’ve never had any partners disclose an std to me.
Now for my questions…
1.What is the probability that my blood test could have been a false positive?(mostly concerned about hsv2)
2.Why do igg tests sometimes come up as a false positive?
3.If I indeed did contract this years ago, would the antibody level normally be higher by now? Also, do antibody levels always raise over the years for positive testers?
4. Is it possible to develop antibodies without symptoms?
5. How long should I wait to confirm with western blot test?
6. If my western blot were to come back negative would igg still be positive?
7. Are there any clinical tests for cures? Or strictly only medicines for breakouts? If I don’t have breakouts should I still be on meds?

Thank you for your time

[Terri Warren]

1.What is the probability that my blood test could have been a false positive?(mostly concerned about hsv2)

Both of your values fall into the low positive range. Both need confirmation by western blot. the 2.69 has about a 60% chance of being a true positive.

2.Why do igg tests sometimes come up as a false positive?
We feel that some people have a cellular protein (a normal thing) that looks similar to one of the proteins of HSV 2 and it trips the test artificially.

3.If I indeed did contract this years ago, would the antibody level normally be higher by now? Also, do antibody levels always raise over the years for positive testers?

Not necessarily. Some people have true low positives over many years.

4. Is it possible to develop antibodies without symptoms?
Yes, definitely.

5. How long should I wait to confirm with western blot test?
I would say 16 weeks after the last time you had sex with someone whose HSV 2 status you do not know to be negative.

6. If my western blot were to come back negative would igg still be positive?
yes

7. Are there any clinical tests for cures? Or strictly only medicines for breakouts? If I don’t have breakouts should I still be on meds?

There are definitely new treatments in clinical trials. If you are having sex with someone who is HSV 2 negative, daily therapy will reduce the risk of transmission by almost half, so yes, even if you have no symptoms, in that situation.

Terri

[Worriedandconfused]

Ok, thank you for responding.

Given the questionable symptoms I shared with you, do any of those sound like herpes?

Without sounding arrogant, I am a model who dates high quality men typically, I’m afraid they won’t be accepting of me. What can I do or say to reduce that?

If it is in fact a true positive, would I have to have my partners use condoms for the rest of my life?

And do you ever think there will be a 100% cure? Also do you believe in holistic remedies to remove the virus from the body?

I took this blood test on a whim with no symptoms because a potential partner asked me to be tested for it as well, I would have almost rather not known 🙁 praying for a false positive

[Terri Warren]

The lesion near the vagina is concerning, but reassuring (though not completely) that this is not herpes. You definitely need the western blot.
I think if you do turn out to be positive, that you should take daily antiviral therapy and have your partners use condoms regularly. If you do that, and they do that, there is a very low risk of them acquiring your HSV 2, if you have it. but you do need to disclose this information to sex partner before you have sex with them, both from a legal and moral point of view.
I suspect there will be a cure or a more successful treatment at least in the future, yes. And no, I absolutely do not believe in holisitic remedies (whatever that might be) to remove the virus from the body.
If you had not taken the test, if you are truly positive, you would not have known you were infected and would have likely found out that you were infected by infecting someone else. That would not have been a pretty picture, do you agree? This way, at least you can do things to greatly reduce the risk of transmission.

Terri

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