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Hi Teri,
My story starts with a failed long term relationship that ended in June 2019. I went on a dating spree and was involved with 3 men since that time. Now I am engaged to one of those guys, we started dating mid September 2019 and have been involved since. Neither of us have dated or been sexual with anyone else since mid/end of September 2019.
I had been completing STD testing regularly and then in December 2019 had my IUD switched out. The gyno completed a full round of SDT testing including the blood test (igg) for HSV1/2. My test came back positive for HSV1 with index levels of 34.6, negative for HSV2.
I have never had any symptoms to date Or prior. My fiancé doesn’t have any symptoms but I can’t stop worrying about it at all times. Do you think I should get retested? Do you think I will ever have symptoms? What is the likihood that this could be genital HSV1? Would I benefit from the western blot test?
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No, you probably wouldn’t benefit from the western blot as your IgG test is a high positive and neither test will tell you if your infection is oral or genital. About half the population between 14 and 49 has HSV 1 infection. If your partner tests negative, they should know that the IgG test misses 30% of HSV 1 infections compared to the western blot. We cannot know the location of your infection, I’m afraid, without a lesion to swab test.
Terri
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We don’t know the shedding rate of people with oral HSV 1 and no symptoms.
We do know that people who have genital SHV 1 and have been infected for at least two years shed virus on about 4 days out of the year.
Once a person has been identified as being infected with some strain of HSV, many do go on to recognized symptoms that previously they had missed. About 70% of those infected with HSV 1 by antibody test would say that they don’t have symptoms in either location.Terri
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Do I think you should just let it go? Probably not, but there is zero point in obsessively checking for outbreaks. If you might have genital HSV 1, you may never have a recognized outbreak. And if you have oral HSV 1, you would notice it with a quick look in the mirror
I would have your future husband tested and if also positive for HSV 1, stop worrying about transmission. If he is negative and is concerned about acquiring HSV 1, you could take daily antiviral medication to try to reduced the risk of infecting him by giving him oral sex. he needs to be a big part of that decision.Terri
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About 70% of people infected with HSV 1 don’t have symptoms that they recognize as herpes, so very common to be infected and not know it.
If your partner is concerned about contracting HSV 1, you could take antiviral medication to try to reduce the risk of transmission yes. We don’t have good data on any reduction of transmission of the infection with HSV 1 is genital.
Know that you know that you have HSV 1, you may be better able to identify symptoms as being herpetic. Yes, you could have been infected orally through kissing and now are asymptomatic. The word “exposed” doesn’t fit here.Terri
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1. Do you think everyone should be tested for HSV even without symptoms?
No, not really, but if someone is requested a screen for sexually transmitted infection, I think herpes should be discussed and possibly included, depending on any vague symptoms or number of sexual partners.2. Statistically speaking, I am more likely to have HSV 1 symptoms and out break on my face /oral right?
Correct3. What percent of people with HSV1 are affected genitally?
We don’t know that.4. If my soon to be husband is HSV1 IGG positive we can’t infect each other correct? He is so understanding and it does not concern him, but will get tested eventually for my peace of mind.
If you both have HSV 1, it is very unlikely that either of you would get it in a new location, whatever that is!Terri
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