I have been using TP as a barrier and wiping down the toilet seat and sink handles with cleaning wipes or soap and water after each use. Is transmission via shared toilets possible and do these sound like reasonable steps to take?
That is overkill. HSV 2 is not spread through toilet seats or sink handles.
Can the virus shed through clothing and live where I sit – for example, on the couch? I am also concerned about babies and little ones I’m around. Is there any risk that it could transmit through clothing when they sit on my lap?
Definitely not
Recently, I had a rash on my shoulder after a minor surgery that involved hormonal treatments. It was in the location and shape of the circular monitor that was stuck to my skin for the procedure. The pimple like cluster had red bases with white fluid. I thought maybe they used oil to remove the sticker because I had irritation where another monitor sticker was. However, I went to my doctor and it was swabbed for HSV four days after it appeared. These are the results:
Herpes Simplex IGM Result = .57
Index Negative <=0.89
Index Equivocal .90-1.90
Index Positive >=1.00-1.10
Could this have potentially been HSV-2? How soon do I need to have a skin sore swabbed for it to be accurate? How accurate would a swab of the throat be?
These are not results of a swab test – they are the result of a blood test, IgM, which the CDC says never should be done and is highly inaccurate.
I had two previous partners before my husband that I suspect I contracted this from because they both were untrustworthy. These were 17 and 15 years ago, and I went to the clinic for testing after each partner but was not aware of an HSV blood test nor offered it. How common is it to have HSV-2 orally, and are the symptoms and effects of oral HSV-2 worse than HSV-1 orally?
HSV 2 orally is uncommon and rarely recurs – far less than HSV 1 orally
Within months of the first partner, I developed chronic allergies and inflammation. Within months of the second partner, I was constantly catching colds, illnesses, and eventually had a positive Tuberculosis test. Does HSV-2 weaken the immune system or cause inflammation?
It does not
I also had some more questions that are a continuation of the last topic on the previous post, which was speculation of when I caught this and other effects it might have had on my body. I was treated for Tuberculosis, so it never became active and remained latent. However, within months after the second partner, in addition to those other symptoms I mentioned above, I developed really bad dandruff, and my husband has dandruff too. Now, years after those two relationships I am kicking myself for, these are my symptoms: low back, muscle, neck, spinal pain and stiffness. I’ve also been diagnosed with endometriosis and my husband with testicular cancer. Can HSV-2 cause any of these things?
No
Also, most of what I have read says that outbreaks occur less frequently over time. Is that still the case as we age or does it become more difficult to manage as we get older and our immune system becomes weaker? I am wondering if we are aging sooner than our peers as a result of HSV-2.
You are aging at the same rate as your peers. Most people have fewer outbreaks as they age.
One last question about auto-inoculation. When our immunity becomes weaker, would it then be possible to spread it to another location on the body, like our hand? I’ve seen mixed answers.
that is extremely unlikely
I also have some questions about further research and testing. Do you think a cure is in the not so distant future and what are some organizations and researchers to follow?
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Institute – Dr. Keith jerome’s work
Within months of the first partner, I developed chronic allergies and inflammation. Within months of the second partner, I was constantly catching colds, illnesses, and eventually had a positive Tuberculosis test. Does HSV-2 weaken the immune system or cause inflammation?
It does not
Terri