Testing Results

[KKDM]

Hello. I was in my junior year of college in 2012 when I ended up with a painful sore in my genital area. I had cut myself shaving in the same spot about a week before and thought it might be an infection in the area, however it became extremely painful and I decided to go to the doctor. My doctor looked at the sore and said that she believed it was Herpes, however she did a swab test and took my blood as well. Two weeks later when I went back she said that the swab had come back negative but the blood test was positive. I left and have been believing that I have been living with herpes ever since. I never had another outbreak, though I have felt tingling there (very possible it is more of a mental thing). Recently I decided to switch doctors and asked for my records. I took a look at the tests from December of 2012 and noticed that the results for my test in December of 2012 were as follows:

Herpes I Ab. IgG <0.2 Negative (Positive being > or = 1.1)
Herpes II Ab. IgG <0.2 Negative (Positive being > or = 1.1)
Herpes Simp Ab. IgM 0.91 (Equivocal – recommended to be retested in 4-6 weeks).

My doctor never made me aware of this, she just told me that I was positive.

My next test was in March of 2014 and the results were as follows:
Herpes I Ab. IgG <0.2 Negative (Equivocal 0.9 – 1.0, Positive being > or = 1.1)
Herpes II Ab. IgG <0.2 Negative (Equivocal 0.9 – 1.0, Positive being > or = 1.1)
Herpes Simp Ab. IgM 0.90 Equivocal – recommended to be retested in 4-6 weeks.

Is it possible that I could be positive for herpes and have levels around 0.2 in IgG test? Is it possible that my doctor didn’t know exactly what she was talking about and I actually don’t have herpes? Do the levels of antibodies tested for in the IgG test decrease with time, or are they only at high levels if you are having an outbreak? Lastly, what would make my IgM test be at a level of 0.9 if I do not have herpes?

Thanks for any help!

[KKDM]

Hi Terri, it looks like you may have missed my question, as you have answered several after mine . Can you please answer when you get the chance?

[Terri Warren]

Your results are indeed negative for the IgG test, the only one that matters. Are you sure the swab test wasn’t the one that was positive? The only thing that concerns me is the inaccuracy of the HSV 1 screening test. Recent research indicates that the HSV 1 antibody test misses about 25% of HSV 1 infections. The sore concerns me though. I guess I would recommend that you consider the western blot to find out if you have HSV 1 or not. But then even if you do, it doesn’t mean that the sore was HSV 1. However, more then 75% of new genital herpes in college students is HSV 1, so that’s a factor too. I’m clear that you don’t have HSV 2.

Terri

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