You know, there is an 85% chance that the 1.27 value is a false positive. However, it could also be new infection since your sexual encounter was so recent. Either is possible, it is too early to tell for sure – you need to let more time go by for an accurate positive or negative. Are you positive or negative for HSV 1? I’m not as sold on the immunoblot because it is difficult to read with any clarity. We used to do that test at the clinic, but it is based on a color change, not an index value (a number) and so false positives are much more difficult to sort out. I doubt that your doctor will be able to obtain a herpes western blot. There is another confirmatory test available through Quest that I am not fond of called an inhibition assay. It is based on the same ELISA test that has false positives so it has little credence with me. If that’s what he gets back instead of a herpes western blot, I think you still need the western blot. I have seen many positives of ELISA’s followed by positives on the inhibition assay that are negative by western blot which is considered the gold standard in herpes testing.
I know it is difficult to wait for these results to come back but the University of Washington recommends waiting 16 weeks from possible exposure to a final test.
You can get a western blot by contacting UW directly for a test kit to be sent to your doctor or our clinic can order the test for you. Maybe your doctor has another way of ordering it, if yes, let me know.
A PCR from blood is completely not the thing to do. A PCR should be taken from a lesion, not blood. People almost never have herpes in their blood streams. That was an error
You’ve got two questions left to ask, please feel free to ask more if needed.
Terri