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Terri,
My recent lab results were negative except for HSV1/HSV2.
HSV1: HerpeSelect IGG 1.16
HSV2: HerpeSelect IGG 1.12
I am in my 30s, female, test regularly for all STIs including HSV, every year, and have always been negative. I’ve had several protected/unprotected partners over my active adult sex life. After a breakup, I retested June 2014, negative. I then had unprotected intercourse with a symptomless man. I later learned he had multiple partners. I did not retest because I had no symptoms. I understand this was a bad call. Fast forward to January 2015. I’m engaged and my fiancé is a virgin (he had girlfriends he did everything with except penetration throughout college). We have unprotected sex, thinking we are both negative of STIs. Shortly after, I felt symptoms of vaginal discomfort. I attributed this to a new partner/new sex life. He decided to get a STI test in February 2015. He verbally informed me it was negative. I suspect because he is military they did not test for HSV. However, I know he is positive for HSV1 because he’s had cold sores during this time. I suspect this is why I may be positive for HSV1. Recently, he informs me he has a small, smooth red spot, on the tip of his penis. He is uncircumcised and I dismissed this as a hygiene issue. The spot does not change, there is no irritation, no bumps (attached photo). Nevertheless, I retest, and to my surprise am positive for both viruses. The Doctor I consulted with informed me there is only a 2% false positive rate with the test I took. I was told I am likely positive. I was informed many people go without symptoms despite the horror stories of primary outbreaks. It was recommended I retest in 3 months.
What is the likelihood of this being false positive?
Do these low numbers suggest a new infection?
What do you recommend or advise for future care?
I appreciate any additional advice you may have. -
Yes, there is about a 2.7% false positive rate on this test for HSV 2. HOWEVER, most of those false positives are in the 1.1 to 3.5 range. And at the index value of 1.12, there is an 85% chance this is a false positive. When was the last time you had sex with anyone besides your current partner? Your HSV 1 index value is also very low and is suspect as well. If you did indeed not have HSV 1 until you started seeing this person, if he gives you oral sex, he may have transferred the virus from his mouth to your genitals, even if he did not have a sore on his mouth at the time.
The picture that you attached does not look like herpes. If he does indeed have HSV 1 orally then it is extremely unlikely that he would then acquire HSV 1 genitally.
If it has been less than four months since you had sex with anyone else, I was suggest you wait until four months has passed and then obtain a herpes Western blot. Our clinic can assist you with obtaining that test. It is only done at the University of Washington in the United States.
When you answer my question about timing of other sexual partners to believe I can help you narrow this down a bit and figure out when to do confirmatory testing.
Terri
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I think that you mean your last encounter was June 2014 correct? I don’t think it will be useful to do another herpesselect test because I suspect that the result will be the same. It has been my experience that once the person test in the low positive range, they will do it again frequently. Or if they don’t test positive they may test in the high negative range or the equivocal range. That is equally confusing.
Our clinic can arrange a Western blot to be drawn at West laboratory in your state. It will then be shipped to the University of Washington where are the Western blot will be run. The University will then send me the results and I would contact you to share them with you. The cost for a consultation with our clinic and the test itself is $250. This needs to be paid at the time the consultation. You are a classic case of someone needing confirmation. Thankfully adequate time has passed since your last encounter in June 2014 for the test to be accurate.
Please let us know if we can help you with that process.
Terri
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