Positve 1gG HSV 2

[Texas1997]

Good afternoon Terri, first i want to say thank you so much for your dedication to this very frustrating and confusing Herpes testing situation.

So basically I got tested for herpes a week ago even though I probably shouldn’t have as I have no symptoms as recommended by the CDC. My results came back as HSV 1 IgG: <.90 and HSV 2 IgG: 1.67. The doctor asked me have I had any symptoms and I told her I get ingrown hairs but I have been experiencing those long before I lost my virginity basically whenever I started shaving down there in high school. But the doctor told me I should still take antivirals because ingrown hair bumps can present as a herpes genital lesion also. So I just started taking the antivirals (Valacyclovir) and I am currently on day 2. she told me when I flare up and get an ingrown hair again that I should make an appointment asap to get the bump swabbed as a swab culture is more accurate. But after much research and being introduced to your forum I am not convinced that I am positive for herpes. I would love to get the western blot test to bring peace of mind. So my questions is since I started already taking the antivirals how long do I have to wait to get retested with western blot as the antivirals may interfere with the results?

Thank you again i look forward to hearing from you 🙂

[Terri Warren]

If there is a possibility that you were recently infected with HSV, I would advise against continuing with the antivirals if you want to know your HSV status.

The timing of doing the test is dependent upon when you last had sex, not when you last had symptoms. You should wait 12 weeks from any concerning sexual encounter to do the blot. a week or two of antiviral meds will not impact the blot.

Terri

[Texas1997]

So I guess my next question for you is..

My Dr informed me to come in the next time I have an ingrown hair flare up so she can do the swab culture test which she says is more accurate. If I test negative on the culture would that be enough to say im 100% negative and no further action needed ? Or would you still advise me to get the blot?

Thank you for responding 🙂

[Terri Warren]

No, that is not enough. A swab could be negative because it is just an ingrown hair, right?
The CDC guidance is that you need a good confirmatory test and that’s the blot. You and your doc can work together to get this done.

Terri

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