HSV-2 positive, please help

[needhelp123]

On Sept. 24, I went to a clinic that did discounted STD testing, just to be sure that I was all clear. Didn’t expect anything to come back positive, but I was told I was positive for HSV-2 at 1.3. I have had no symptoms, no outbreaks, or anything so I was completely floored. My last sexual encounter was at the end of July 28, 2015, and we used a condom. And prior to that encounter, I had not had sex in almost 3 years, and it was with the same person and we used a condom then also.

On October 8, I went to a obgyn to get tested again because I just could not accept the results as is and not get a second opinion. I believe they did the same type of blood test, because the results came back positive again, this time at 1.4.

I have been seeing all this information on false positives and I am considered a “low positive” at 1.4. Is it possible to get a false positive twice in a row? The blood tests were taken about 2 weeks apart so I don’t know if that makes a difference. The gynecologist said that the test is very accurate, and very rarely is it ever wrong. She said it’s possible that I will never have an outbreak all my life, and that the person who gave it to me could have been asymptomatic at the time of transmission. But she also kept stressing that I am “barely positive” and since I don’t have any symptoms to just “not worry about it.” It’s impossible to not worry, and I literally have been crying for days because of this. I need some real answers so I can go on. If it’s really positive, I just want to be absolutely sure. And if it’s negative, I would be much more at peace.

Should I be considering the Western Blot test? I live in Georgia, and I don’t know where I could go to get blood drawn and sent to your office. I am willing to do the test, because I do not want to live my life as if I have HSV-2 if there’s a possibility that I’m actually negative. It is causing me emotional stress, and it is effecting me significantly. Please let me know what I should do.

[Terri Warren]

You are absolutely correct that this is a low positive. There is an 85% chance, at this index value, that this is a false positive.
Our clinic can order the western blot to be drawn at a lab near where you live in Georgia.
OK – I’m going to tell you what to do, since you asked me to. Call my office on Monday, make an appointment to talk to me on Tuesday and we will get the test ordered.

And I also don’t agree with your doc. Just because you have low positive, if it is a true positive, and I doubt that it is, you would be as infectious as someone who has a 15 index value!

Terri

[needhelp123]

Great, I will call on monday. About how much does the western blot cost, including the blood work and everything? Typically, on average, how often do patients end up being negative with the WB after testing positive with an IGG test? Just curious because I tested with a low positive twice with the IGG antibody test. 1.3 the first time and 1.4 the second time.

[needhelp123]

One more question since I have one more question allowed. Is it possible that I have other antibodies or cellular proteins present in my body that are affecting the IgG antibody test? I have other medical issues, just to name a few, such as pre-diabetes (metabolic syndrome), history of asthma, PCOS, and a keloid that has no known cure and medically there is no explanation for why keloids form. I know its a shot in the dark, but is it possible that any of those medical issues could affect the test?

And of course now I am hypersensitive to every little thing I think I may feel on my skin and have been checking frantically for evidence, but there is nothing. It’s a pretty terrible feeling to be in a constant state of paranoia! I almost wish I never tested because then I would have never known and not have to be stressed out.

[Terri Warren]

Yes, it is absolutely possible and even likely that you have other proteins in your body that are tripping this test in error.
We don’t know exactly why people trip the test in error, but I suppose any of the things that you list are possibilities.
You know everyone is hypersensitive to every little genital sensation when they get a positive test so don’t feel silly or like you are the only one. EVERYONE does. The thing is, this will either be confirmed negative, in which case, you can work extra hard to protect that negative through safer sex and partner testing before sex OR you can manage your HSV 2 infection with meds and regular condom use so that you put others at minimal risk. If you have herpes and you didn’t know, there would be a much greater chance of infecting others (we have research about that) and I’ll bet you would feel very badly if you had to find out you had herpes by involving and infecting someone else, right?

And as I said, there is an 85% chance this is a false positive.

Terri

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Terri Warren.

[needhelp123]

Good afternoon,

I thought that my issue had been resolved, but of course I have been still reading your forum and have some new concerns. I saw that on someone else’s post you recommended that they wait 16 weeks post “exposure” before taking the western blot. My western blot results came back negative, but that was at 12 weeks post encounter. Should I take the western blot again? I’m freaking out because I thought I read somewhere that 12 weeks is ok, but now I’m seeing 16 weeks according to your website and I’m wondering if that makes a huge difference or not since tested at 12 weeks. My IgG tests, as I mentioned earlier, came back positive at 1.3 and two weeks later positive at 1.4, back in early October, around 8-9 weeks post encounter. Please let me know what I should do. I honestly don’t want to have to take the WB again because it is pricey.

[Terri Warren]

Twelve weeks is the recommended time for the screening test and 16 weeks for the western blot but honestly, I think it is unlikely to change at 16 weeks. I can’t tell you for certain, but I can tell you that I think it is really unlikely.

Terri

[needhelp123]

That is great to know. I will trust my negative results, and be at peace with it. I don’t want to go stirring the pot if I don’t need to. But I would like to ask, since 16 weeks is recommended, has there ever been a time when someone tested before that 16 weeks and came back indeterminate with some proteins showing on the test?

[Terri Warren]

Yes definitely I have seen that someone tests before or at 16 weeks and the test is indeterminate.

Terri

[needhelp123]

One last question to finish up my round of questions. Considering the IgG was positive, would that same protein that made the test positive have shown up on the WB if I was truly positive? I saw on another post that University of Washington recommended 12-16 weeks for WB so I just want to be sure that I can trust my negative considering there was “no evidence of past infection” at all. In my head it makes sense that the protein (or antibody?) would show up on both the IgG as well as the WB if it truly was present in my body? I’m not sure. I just want to be completely sure of everything so I can move on and stop stalking your forum. You do great work, but I need to stop reading this forum everyday!

So my 2 questions are:

1. If the IgG was positive for antibody, would the same antibody and/or protein also show up on the WB if it truly was present in my blood?

2. If you were in my position would you trust a negative result WB at 12 weeks?

[Terri Warren]

Sometimes that same protein does trip up the western blot test and we end up with an indeterminate but that is not the case with you and it often isn’t the case with others.

Given that you used a condom at a one time encounter and before that it was three years of not having sex and given your negative western blot at 12 weeks, I would recommend you let it go. I seriously doubt that your western blot at 16 weeks would be any different at all. If you can’t let it go you might have to do it again just to rest your mind but do I think you need to? No, I honestly don’t.

Terri

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