Tested Positive for HSV I and HSVII- LOW POSITIVE?

[CAconfused]

I re kindled a past relationship with someone on 12/10/2014 and started having sex a week or so later protected and un protected so being the paranoid person I am i got tested on 01/21/2015 ( I stopped all sexual activity with this person from 01/16/2015) through LABCORP my results came back for HSV I – 3.03 and HSV II – 1.48. After I received the results I decided to be retested again through Planned Parenthood shortly after on 01/26/2015 ( i developed a head cold, no fever, mostly stuffed sinus and sneezing) I had some small type cuts appear on my perineum (picture attached) they did not hurt or itch and weren’t painful only some discomfort when wiping no pain really when urine would come in contact, during the visit to PP the physician assistant refused to swab and said it didn’t look like herpes and whatever it was was already healing and I pretty much had to force her to do a blood test she only tested for HSV II. I received the results about a week later the HSV II 1.71 the value went up which was concerning for me. Besides the cuts ( I mostly wear tight jeans with no underwear and did rub myself wrong with the inner jean lining the weekend before i got tested) I have never had any symptoms before and before this new relationship I was with one person for 7 months with nothing! No symptoms. I also tested negative for everything back in June or July I believe and the test included HSV I and II. I did notice that the value for HSV I from the June/July test to now did double. SO imagine my shock when I received a positive HSV II. I have read several post reporting a false positive especially with scores as low as mine. So is there a chance i could have a false positive or am I just fooling myself into believing the test was wrong. Neither past two partners have had any symptoms. The relationship whom I was with for 7 months recently tested on 2/2/2014 negative for HSV II but positive for HSV I. Pending the results right now from this new relationship he will be tested tomorrow.

So given some background…

IS there a reason the values went up in such a short time apart? Does this mean the HSV II is getting stronger in my body?

If this new relationship did give it to me would the test result show HSV II so soon? If his test return negative what would be my next step?

What are the chances of this being a false positive when i have always tested negative for HSV II? What triggers this?

How do I obtain a WB? and when would be an appropiate time to take this test for the best accurate results?

Are the cuts typical of a first outbreak if I truly do have it? I look to where they used to be and i see no scaring what so ever. Everything else down there seems fine and the pap smear on 1/26/2015 everything else as far as STD abnormalities were good.

Thank you!

• This topic was modified 8 years, 1 month ago by CAconfused.

[CAconfused]

oops i forgot to add picture of cuts

[Terri Warren]

I think these lesions are very concerning looking. This is how they looked and Planned Parenthood declined to swab them when they looked like this, exactly like this?
Lab results vary from place to place and over time. The variations you are reporting are not significant, even though they may seem so to you.
If this is HSV 2 in the pictures, it is possible that you acquired this from your new relationship and you had a little time to make antibody and the results are quite low. You may well be in the process of developing HSV 2 antibody.
However, as you know, this could also be a false positive because it is in the low positive range. It is way too early to do a western blot, however. You would need wait about 16 weeks to test with this particular test. However, I would recommend that you retest with the usual screening test (IgG type specific) in a couple of months. If the result is now over 3.5, you would not need to do western blot confirmation.
It does seem very odd indeed to me that BOTH HSV 1 and HSV 2 were negative in July and now both are positive. There’s something weird about that.
If these lesions are herpes, they could be either HSV 1 or HSV 2. So the HSV 2 could be a false negative and the genital lesions could be HSV 1. Or they could be HSV 2. Or they could be not herpes.
Let me say this to you: if you get anything that looks like this again, I want you to go immediately into a health care provider and have these lesions swab tested using PCR technology.

I would recommend that your current partner be tested. If he is negative, then that result can not be taken to the bank. If it is positive, then it is possible that you acquired this from him or if not, then you are vulnerable to acquiring it from him.

In summary, I am quite concerned about these lesions. Please feel free to write me more questions.

Terri

[CAconfused]

No I have always tested positive for HSV I but never tested positive for HSV II until this recent January test/relationship. So what I understand from your response is that there’s a very high chance that this is HSV II? PP did not want to because they were almost healed I noticed the cuts on a Wednesday morning and they were gone by Monday. So if both my last partners come back negative and they were the only ones I was with since my last negative HSV II test, I should assume it is a false positive?

June/July 2014 test-
HSV I -1.6
HSV II -negative

January 2015 Test-
LabCorp
HSV I- 3.30
HSV II -1.48
Planned Parenthood-
HSV II 1.71

[Terri Warren]

It could be a false positive, yes. Have you ever had a cold sore in your lifetime?

Terri

[CAconfused]

I think I may have as a child had cold sores but not as an adult. So I’m trying to understand your answer … so yes based on picture and blood test that this could be a high probability of HSV II? That it would show up this quickly? If both partners come back negative then false positive?

[Terri Warren]

If you had cold sores ever in your lifetime, then that accounts for your HSV 1 infection which produced the HSV 1 antibody. If the HSV 2 antibody test confirms as positive down the road, then it is my impression that these “cuts” are likely herpes lesions. I could definitely be wrong so it is very important for you to do the necessary confirmatory testing or go in to be seen if and when you get another lesion like this. I don’t think you can rely totally on the test results of others or even the previous negative test – I think you need independent confirmation in this situation with a lesion that looks like this one does. But it would definitely be good to get your most current partner tested.

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Terri

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