varying test results

[sc]

Hi, I’ve been reading a lot of your posts and am grateful for the info. I recently got tested (IGg) with low positive for HSV2, and have gotten two more tests since then to try to figure out if I’m truly positive. I’ve never had any symptoms of HSV2, though I have had cold sores since childhood. Here is the history:

12/6/2014 – last potential exposure

1/8/2015 – 49.8 HSV1 1.74 HSV2 (test done at Any Lab Test Now)

1/30/2015 – 49.6 HSV1 1.85 HSV2 (test done at Any Lab Test Now)

2/13/2015 – 9.94 HSV1 13.8 HSV2 (test done at my Dr’s office)

Is it likely for results to be almost identical, then vary that widely over a couple week’s time? I don’t have much trust in my doctor’s office, unfortunately, and really want to get to the bottom of this. I’ll spend the money on Western Blot if I need to, but your opinion on whether the last test’s numbers seems legitimate is much appreciated. Thank you.

[Terri Warren]

That’s a very big jump on that last test. Do you know which lab the Any lab Test Now used and what lab your doctor’s office used? Like did they both use LabCorp, for example? Can you find out? If you had brand new herpes I would have expected a bit more reaction on the last January test. has your most recent partner been tested for HSV 2?

yes, I think you need a western blot to clarify.

Terri

[sc]

My doctor told me they were done at different labs, but I don’t know which ones. I could probably find out. No, last partner has not been tested and also has never had symptoms.

[Terri Warren]

Do you have a print out of the Any Lab Test Now result? It should have the name of the lab that performed the test as would the test from your doctor’s office.

Terri

[sc]

It looks like Any Lab Test Now used American Esoteric Laboratories in Knoxville, TN. The results from my doctor doesn’t have a lab name, so I am waiting to hear back from them.

[Terri Warren]

Found it!

Terri

[sc]

Thank you, Terri. I will wait until the 16 week mark and get the western blot.

[Terri Warren]

OK, sounds like a good plan.

Terri

[sc]

Hi Terri,

Another question for you while I wait for WB. I’m confused about transmission rates. You and others say there is a 2% chance per year of transmission to an uninfected partner when the HSV2 positive partner is on valacyclovir. From what I have read this is generally based on sex twice a week. It seems to me that means for each time having sex there is 2% chance divided by 100, which would mean .0002% chance of transmission. Is that right? Or is it a 2% chance per sex activity?

[Terri Warren]

It is a 2% chance in a year – if 100 uninfected men were having sex with 100 HSV 2 positive women, just one on one, twice per week, no regular condom use, infected partner on meds, no sex with symptoms, about 2 men in that year would become infected.

I went ahead and answered your question but you have used up all of your posts.

Terri

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Terri Warren.

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