1. The person I (female) slept with (male) also told me he had hsv1 orally after he told me about having hsv2. We only had sex one time (protected) but we made out on a few occasions (probably 5). He never had sores when he kissed. Does it seem odd to you that I would test negative for HSV1 on the blot? I keep reading stats that say like 80 percent of the population has it? Is that number accurate?
No, about 47% of the population has this.
2. When I showed my current partner by Western Blot results he seemed concerned when he read the part about the test not being cleared or approved by the FDA. Can you speak to why it has not been cleared? Reading that seemed to really worry him.
It has never been submitted for FDA approval as it will never be used in commercial laboratories as it cannot be mechanized. it is the gold standard for entry into all clinical trials relating to herpes.
3. I had a situation over the weekend where I accidentally used by brother’s toothbrush thinking it was mine. I washed my mouth with listerine directly after. I don’t know if he gets coldsores or not. I keep seeing conflicting information online as to whether this poses a risk of transmission. Could I get hsv1 from a toothbrush? I know he did not have a coldsore at the time and hadn’t used the toothbrush in hours but our bathroom isn’t super well ventilated, so it’s possible it wasn’t completely dry. I’ve seen some online sources say hsv1 could potentially lives on a toothbrush for days. Does this pose a risk of transmission if he carries the coldsore virus? Is it possible that while there may be virus on the toothbrush it just isn’t enough for transmission?
We have no idea if he has herpes at all nor if he was shedding nor if the toothbrush was dry. i think transmission is very unlikely even if he does have HSV
I know it’s likely I may get hsv1 at some point in life given how common it is. I am more just worried about giving my current partner false information about my status. Thank you so so much!
Also, I want to make sure I am getting the stats correct. After twelve weeks, the western blot accurately detects 99.6 percent of HSV2 infections, correct? I want to make sure I told my partner the correct stat. Thank you!
Dr. Larry Corey at the Unviversity of Washington says it is 99.9% sensitive at 12 weeks.
Terri