Please help me as I wait for my results

[hello986Participant]

23 F.e I’ve had 2 sexual partners. I was tested after my 1st (negative), tested halfway through my relationship with my 2nd (IgG for HSV1 was 0.21, HSV2 was 0.52)-this was 6 months ago. Him and I were together were 11 months and used condoms every single time we had sex. He was given an STD panel in June but they did not perform an IgG, instead they only did a swab of a wart he had which turned out to be HPV 6. If he has HSV, he’s never had any outbreaks or presented any symptoms. The only issues he’s had in the past 4 years is an HPV wart and also jock itch.

5 days ago I noticed a lot of itching in my vagina. When I tried to take a look, I noticed 3 white dots and 1 bigger cluster–all were located just right outside my vaginal opening, behind my labia minora. I also noticed that my vaginal opening was completely covered in thick white discharge. I immediately go to a walk-in clinic that night and my doctor swabbed me for a HSV culture panel and took an IgG blood test as well as tested my urine. When she took a look, she immediately told me this looked like it could be Herpes. She did note that it was odd that I did not show discomfort when swabbed-instead, it provided a relief for my itch. She prescribed valtrex.The next day, I notice the sores looked kind of liked craters. I rubbed at them and bits of white-ish gray came off (kind of thick, not thin fluid or clear). The 3rd day, I continued to do this and wiped off the white on top and revealed a lesion underneath (this is when I started to think this could look like herpes). Today is day 5, and the lesions have gotten much smaller, without any scabbing. The yeast/thick white discharge appears to also be clearing away.

I still have to wait a few more days for results, do you think this is herpes or could it have been a bad yeast infection or something else. I’m hesitant to think it’s herpes b/c i tested negative in August, my partner and I always used condoms, and he’s never had an outbreak.

[Terri WarrenKeymaster]

So difficult to know. it certainly sounds like herpes is a possibility but the swab should be helpful in sorting this out. I have seen yeast cause breaks in the skin and of course be very itchy.
I am concerned about your HSV 2 that had the 0.52 index value – that is negative but a higher negative. Have you had testing done since?

Terri

[hello986Participant]

Hi Terri,

Yes, I did a second test for IgG a few weeks after the 0.52 and it came back negative, but I was never told my index value for that one.

My results for my IgG last week came back negative for both HSV1 and HSV2. Unfortunately I do not know the index values this time. Additionally, my swab results were negative. But I was never tested for a yeast infection and still had a lot of discharge so I decided to go to a gyno to get a second opinion. This gyno insisted that the two tests I just had were false-negatives and decided to do a PCR swab instead. He was swabbing and asking me if it hurt and I said no, and then he pushed so hard he broke my skin and soaked the swab in blood, and that point it really hurt.

My question is, I’ve been on valtrex for the past week, would that interfere with the swab results? Or is it that as long as there is fluid present to swab it should be accurate?

The gyno explained to me that my IgG test was negative because my outbreak just occurred and I need to test myself 12 weeks after outbreak (which I know is incorrect. it’s 12 weeks past possible exposure). He also also explained why the first doctor didn’t swab hard enough to get an accurate culture which is why he swabbed so hard and broke my skin.

What are the chances that an IgG PLUS a culture swab both done on Day 1 of symptoms would be false-negatives?

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by  hello986.

[hello986Participant]

Hi Terri. I received my results for my PCR swab — negative. However, again, I had taken valtrex two days prior (the last time I took it was on Sunday evening, my swab was Tuesday evening). Could this have affected my negative result? And by how much?

My ex-partner received his results for HSV. Positive (index was 10) for HSV1, negative for HSV2.

At this point, i’ve had genital ulcers but have had a negative IgG, culture swab, AND PCR swab (though having taken valtrex 2 days prior). What are my chances that I have GHSV1?

I also heard that those who have GHSV1 almost always have an initial outbreak. However, my “outbreak” would have been almost 4 months after possible initial exposure. Is it unlikely that I have GHSV1 because of this?

[Terri WarrenKeymaster]

The Valtrex could have impacted your swab test results, yes. And if this was a recurrences, it could have impacted it significantly.
Your description worries me but the negative swabs are reassuring. Since the IgG misses 30% of HSV 1, that is not as reassuring.
At some point, I think it would wise to obtain a western blot since your main concern (and rightly so) is HSV 1.
It is very possible to even miss a new HSV 1 infection – not usual but it surely does happen.
I can see why you are puzzled and frustrated about this. You could stop now and believe the testing and then, if you ever get these again, get them swab tested without taking any Valtrex. Or you could get the western blot now.

Terri

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