Unfaithful husband HSV1, I'm positive HSV2

[FaithfullyFoolish]

Dear Terri,
I am writing you seeking your guidance and wisdom to put my mind at ease. I need medical facts so that I may come to terms with my present situation. I have been with my husband for 9 years total and married for 7 years. I have been 100% faithful to him from day one. Unfortunately, he cannot say the same. In 2012 he had an emotional relationship with a coworker and both have admitted to making out once. I was tested in Spring 2012 for STDs to be safe, and all came back negative. We reconciled our relationship and stayed together.
Fast forward to December 2014: on Christmas Eve I found out he had left a strip club with a dancer on 12/6/14. They went to a park, made out, and he went home. Or so the story goes… I went Christmas Eve to be tested as I happened to have what I thought was a canker sore in my mouth at the time. I am still fairly confident it was a canker sore, but I can’t be sure as it has since healed. When I went to the walk in clinic on 12/24/14, they did a full STD panel on me and also put me on Amoxicillin and Acyclovir (5x a day) to be safe. Unfortunately, they did not pull enough blood the first round 12/24, and I had to give more blood on 12/29/14 after being on Acyclovir for 5 days. I am certain we had sex 12/14/14, but I cannot remember if we had sex from 12/6 (his incident with the dancer) to 12/13 as I had a cold that week and probably did not feel like having sex. We most definitely kissed during that period though. To be safe, I am using 12/14/14 as my exposure date.

My results from the 12/29 blood draw came back as follows:
Hepatitis B Surface Antibody: Reactive
HSV 1 IGG Type Specific AB <0.90 Negative
HSV 2 IGG Type Specific AB 1.26 Positive

I have never had an outbreak of any kind. When I got my results, I immediately made my husband get tested. His results came back today and are as follows:

Husband Blood drawn 12/31/14:
HSV 1 IGG Type Specific AB 4.33 Positive
HSV 2 IGG Type Specific AB <0.90 Negative

He has never had a cold sore in the 9 years I have known him. I have poured through your site for weeks, searching for hope my HSV 2 positive diagnosis could be a false positive. I want to believe his story that he has only kissed other women during our marriage, but I cannot trust what he says anymore. Is it possible he has been HSV1 positive for 9 years without a single cold sore? Where does his HSV 1 number fall on the scale of false positive? Is there a way to tell if his HSV1 is recent or old? Is it possible that he could be HSV1 positive and I’m HSV2 negative with neither of us having the other’s disease? Is there hope I could be negative for HSV2 and just received a false positive since 1.26 is so low? I know his HSV2 negative could be a false negative since the time from his exposure has been so short. Is it possible he gave me HSV2 simply from kissing other women?

The thought of my husband cheating on me is unbearable, but knowing I will carry a disease with me for the rest of my life due to his infidelity is soul crushing. I am so lost and need your medical advice on what the reality of my (our) situation is. We also have a four year old daughter. I am terrified to pass the virus to her. Every time she has touched my skin in the last few weeks I cringe in fear. I won’t let her use the same toilet I am, I am scared for her to be in my bed, use my towel, and I am terrified to give her a little smooch on the lips like I used to. What is the risk of transmitting HSV2 to children?

I have an appointment scheduled with my OB-GYN tomorrow to discuss the matter further and be retested, but at only 3-4 weeks post exposure, I am uncertain what another IGG test may or may not say. I intend to have the Western Blot done in April when I can be certain I am at least 16 weeks post exposure. Until then, your input and analysis will help put my mind to rest. Does your clinic accept phone patients in FL?

Thank you in advance!

[FaithfullyFoolish]

Terri ~ Just wanted to be sure you saw my payment. The invoice that is showing under my account information is dated 1/7/15 but today is 1/6/15 and the $20.00 was paid in full. Thanks! 🙂

[Terri Warren]

It’s never foolish to be faithful!
He could certainly be infected since childhood with HSV 1 and have no symptoms, absolutely Seventy percent of those infected with HSV 1 do not report symptoms. So there is no way to know when he was infected, no. His positive value is clearly positive, not in a questionable range at all. Remember that 56% of the US population between the ages of 14-49 are HSV 1 positive.

As for you: your HSV 2 value is definitely in the range that needs confirmation. At your value, there is a low chance but still a chance that you are actually positive. The test could also have missed your HSV 1 infection as it misses 1-2 out of 10 infections – the test is far less good for HSV 1 than HSV 2. You need a western blot confirmatory test. The other possibility of course is that your husband is newly infected, recently infected you and your antibody level is going to up at some point. I am not suggesting that’s what happened but it is possible – his antibody test may just not be positive yet. If he did have a recent sexual contact with someone else, that could be the case. I know this limbo must be very anxiety provoking. You can do another test and see where your IgG value goes.

We are making arrangements to collect samples from the states that do not allow shipment to UW as part of a research study to look at the results of low positives in these states and what impact that has on people who are falsely positive. That study should be up and running in the next week or so so yes, we could gather your sample at a Quest lab near you.

Your child is not at risk of your HSV 2 infection, if by chance you have it nor is she at risk of your husband’s HSV 1 infection unless he has a cold sore. They way we kiss a child is not the way we kiss an adult so asymptomatic transmission is extremely unlikely.

You have two more questions – ask away.

Terri

[FaithfullyFoolish]

Thank you! I intend to request another IGG tomorrow and will let you know the results. Preliminary internet searches come up empty handed for a clinic in FL willing to administer the BioKit, but based on all your information here, I wouldn’t be satisfied until I have the WB anyway. Please keep me informed on how I can be a part of the study you intend to start in the coming weeks. Do I need to do anything further at this point to be considered?

When you say that FL is a state that does not allow shipment, does that mean that I am unable to even successfully obtain the WB kit from UW and have it processed by my own local physician? I contacted your clinic by phone and then UW earlier today. Both staff were extremely helpful, but I was bummed to learn you could not order the WB for me. UW was under the impression I could order from them, potentially have the blood drawn at Quest, then Quest would ship to a Quest near them, and eventually deliver to UW. To cover all my bases, I even asked UW about flying to their labs to be tested in person. As you guessed, my anxiety levels are extremely high as this diagnosis brings heartbreak of all kinds. I am on a federal insurance plan and your clinic is listed as an approved provider. If I were to fly to your clinic directly, would you be able to test me then? I feel a little over the top even considering a vacation to be tested for herpes, but I need the confirmation to find peace. April can’t come soon enough.

Finally, what are the odds he contracted hsv2 orally, is asymptomatic and transmitted it to me the same way? I’ve read getting HSV2 orally is rare, but possible. If it is a recent infection for him, combined with his HSV1 slowing down the growth of his hsv2 antibodies, realistically could I have obtained HSV2 orally also? I found out about his infidelity by calling her number from our phone records. She talked to me openly and told me her version of the events that took place that night. When I confronted him and did not reveal her details, his story matched hers for the most part. Is it even slightly possible he could have truly given me herpes by kissing another woman?

Your website and mission for your clinic is amazing. I’m so thankful for your dedication! Your site is the only thing giving me even a little hope right now that I could walk away negative. Thanks again!

[FaithfullyFoolish]

Oh? I forgot one more thing and I am fine if this counts as all my subsequent questions: I read your updated herpes pamphlet (the 44pg one) tonight and there was a very brief mention of the Epstein bar virus being a herpes virus. I had mono in high school and have been told the EB virus stays with you. The pamphlet later said chickenpox would not cause or interfere with hsv2 positive results, but so I can specifically hear it from you: can the EB mono virus have any effect on HSV results?

[Terri Warren]

Neither EBV nor VZV would interfere with this test, that is correct.
I’m not sure if UW can arrange to get blood shipped from Florida but I can tell that you can’t get it shipped from Florida through Quest. They are now asking for photo ID with an address. But for the study, we can get it shipped.

I think looking for Oral HSV 2 in him would be pretty fruitless. I would bet many many dollars that he did not acquire HSV 2 by kissing this woman, that is just too far fetched.

Yes, we would test you if you flew out to see us. It is also just a little possible that you could get tested in a state closer to you – they might not ask for ID but if you went there and they did, you would be out of luck, right?

So here’s the deal. If he had more than kissing in December, you cannot rely on this test results. Neither you nor I know the truth about that. If you still have concerns, I would ask that he retest in four months from the encounter. If you believe him/them, let it go. focus on getting a clear answer about your HSV 2 results.
You have one more question.

Terri

[FaithfullyFoolish]

Hi Terri,
I met with my OB-GYN last week and as I feared, she was very contradictory to everything I have read here and in other medical resources regarding HSV testing. She told me a positive HSV2 was a positive, no question. She also said that the IGG means I have had it for a LONG time, and that if she did an IGM that result could be a better judge if it’s recent or not. She is a fierce woman and I didn’t know how to politely tell her I think there is other information available today that reflects otherwise… She steamrolled me about my medical concerns and focused more on what I was going to do for myself to make a change in my marriage. When I asked if she was familiar with the WB she said “Yes, but that’s only for HIV. Your confirmatory test is your positive IGG” I tried to tell her that there was one for HSV and it was nationally considered to be THE confirmatory test, and she brushed it off. She also told me that if I never had an outbreak, my chances of spreading it to someone else would be slim to none and I didn’t need to worry about future partners if I divorce. Needless to say, this meeting with her was even more crushing and confusing. It is hard to argue with a licensed, degreed DOCTOR but I feel everything in the Herpes community was the total opposite of the information she was providing me. Regardless of her opinions, she ran my blood tests upon my request and the results were as follows:

IGG Type Specific AB HSV 1: <0.90 Negative
IGG Type Specific AB HSV 2: <0.90 Negative

HSV1/2 AB (IGM), IFA w/RFL to Titer
HSV IGM Screen: Negative
HSV 2 IGM Screen: Negative

I know you don’t put faith in the IGM but I am sharing my results with you simply because I have them. I have not spoken with my doctor regarding my results, she simply left them on my voicemail yesterday and I am able to access the lab reports through my patient portal online. I do not really care to speak with her, since she said a “positive was a positive” I am sure she will scramble for an explanation as to why my negative could be either/or. My questions to you are as follows:

1) How do you interpret this second round testing? Since my husband was negative for HSV2, and both of these tests show negative for me, do I have hope that I am truly negative?
2) Is there any way the 5 days of acyclovir could have reacted with the initial HSV2 test causing the positive?
3) How can I be included in your upcoming research?
4) Do you still recommend the WB? I have done my research and between plane tickets, hotel, your clinic fees and a rental car I will spend ~$1,000.00 to have the test done. I am 100% committed to my health and mental well being and would make the financial sacrifice without question if you felt the WB was needed.

Thank you for your time and THANK YOU for your information. All I can think about is how many people receive a diagnosis like mine, believe their physician and never look further. It’s life changing!

[Terri Warren]

Yes, I think you are likely negative for HSV 2 unless there has been a very recent contact that infected him and it hasn’t show up yet in either of your tests, which seems unlikely. Acyclovir would not make the test look falsely positive, if anything, when taken long enough can cause a false negative. But not 5 days.

You can be included in our newest research project, yes. Please send a note to info@westoverheights.com and when we are on our way, I will contact you. For heavens sake don’t fly here! we can get this another way.

I’m a little confused about your intent on interpreting your physician’s comments. Since you put DOCTOR in caps, is there some meaning there that I should pay attention to, like because I am not a doctor? Frankly your DOCTOR is completely uninformed about herpes and if she were my DOCTOR I would print out several articles from pubmed on herpes and try to get her up to speed. It’s a shame she might be telling others these falsehoods. I have spotted at least 4-5 just in your post alone.

Terri

[Terri Warren]

Yes, I think you are likely negative for HSV 2 unless there has been a very recent contact that infected him and it hasn’t show up yet in either of your tests, which seems unlikely. Acyclovir would not make the test look falsely positive, if anything, when taken long enough can cause a false negative. But not 5 days.

You can be included in our newest research project, yes. Please send a note to info@westoverheights.com and when we are on our way, I will contact you. For heavens sake don’t fly here! we can get this another way.

I’m a little confused about your intent on interpreting your physician’s comments. Since you put DOCTOR in caps, is there some meaning there that I should pay attention to, like because I am not a doctor? Frankly your DOCTOR is completely uninformed about herpes and if she were my DOCTOR I would print out several articles from pubmed on herpes and try to get her up to speed. It’s a shame she might be telling others these falsehoods. I have spotted at least 4-5 just in your post alone.

Terri

[Terri Warren]

And by the way you were out of questions a bit ago. If you want to continue this conversation please renew your subscription.

Terri

[FaithfullyFoolish]

Terri,
I wish there was a way to chat and for you to hear my tone: I want you to know I am your BIGGEST fan and believe you are far superior to anyone else in the HSV professionals community. I also know that you go through just as much schooling and grueling studies, and from what I’ve read regarding your career history, I believe you are more accomplished than so many. I am so grateful to have this forum where I can ask a truly educated, motivated individual for facts and receive them! I put doctor in caps simply because there is so much stigma that as a patient we are to put all our trust and faith in a doctor but they can be wrong, uninformed and misleading. I was saying that as her patient I felt I couldn’t argue with her because of her status. I wish I could have had you there with me! I would choose you 100 times over and only wish you were local. Please accept my apology, no offense was intended at all. As she was talking all I could think was “But Terri’s research reflects the exact opposite.” I don’t think I will be visiting her office again.

I will send a note to the e-mail you provided. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your guidance and input!

[FaithfullyFoolish]

Terri, for the payment part on 1/7/15 you told me I had one more question? So today’s post was my first since then. Please let me know if you intend for me to pay again and I gladly will. Thank you.

[Terri Warren]

Thanks for the clarification, I just wasn’t 100% sure what the caps were about. LOL
This counting posts is a challenge for me. With you, I didn’t count the little notes that you made. My records show you have only paid once, is that correct? I think we are into the next round of questions

Terri

[FaithfullyFoolish]

I paid for another round, so two total payments for a total of $40. Thanks again!

[Terri Warren]

perfect. thanks for taking care of that.

Terri

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