That’s correct, your doctor’s office cannot order a western blot for you anymore. You can get a test kit from UW and have your doctor draw the blood and send it back to them with the kit or our clinic can order the test at a Quest lab near you. The immunoblot is not better than the ELISA and in fact, in my opinion, gives far more confusing results. It would be good to request a swab test of a lesion but instead of culture, you should request a PCR test, far more sensitive.
I don’t think there are peer reviewed articles referring to delayed seroconversion with antivirals, this is something we all just know based on the science of antiviral medicines. If you reduce the amount of virus present, you reduce the ability of the immune system to see it and make an antibody response.
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Terri