[LifeMovesForward]

Thanks for the help.

I’ve decided to take my final IgG at 13 weeks. I took valtrex 2 times for about 1 week each time during week 2 post possible exposure and week 8 post possible exposure. I am also for sure HSV1 positive…. should I wait even longer to to the IgG for those reasons? Will those factors delay possible sero conversion?

All my tests so far have been with LabCorp. You said if I do my next one with Quest it’s like “comparing apples to oranges”. Are Quest and LabCorp testing different things? Should I never switch between labs?

Thanks!

[LifeMovesForward]

Thanks for this. Are Quest and LabCorp IgG not looking for the same thing? An antibody to the HSV virus? I was wondering if for the initial result Elisa vs HerpeSelect is better? More accurate?

On many testing sites they say test for HSV at 4 – 6 weeks…so this is inaccurate?

Does taking valtrex or already having HSV1 have significant impact on antibody production? I tested at about 6 weeks out and will again in a few weeks

[LifeMovesForward]

Thank you. I will test again at 12 weeks

1) when testing, should you always test with the same lab? For example always LabCorp or always quest? Or can you bounce around different labs? What’s the best thing to do?

2) in terms or accuracy with HSV2 IgG which lab do you find most accurate? Quest? LabCorp? Another lab?

Is there a more accurate test? Western blot is a long process. Is anything better than the blood test other than western blot?

[LifeMovesForward]

Thanks for the response. I decided to take my own IgG test at 5 weeks and 5 days out. >.91 negative via Labcrop.

Does yeast cause sores? and fissures? And I was taking yeast medication and valtrex when the symptoms went away

By the way, for testing, when counting how many weeks out you are, is it from when the symptoms ended or from when they started? I want to test again by 12 weeks.

Also, what are the percentage of positives that will show by the weeks? for example by 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, how many people who will be positive will show by then?

thanks so much

[LifeMovesForward]

Thanks so much! I fully disclosed my GHSV1 status to my new partner, and he was 100% fine with it! he still wanted to date me and it didn’t bother him one bit!

he agreed to do a STD test with me.

MY results:

ALL STD’s negative
HSV1: 15
HSV2: <.90

HIS results:

ALL STD’s negative

HSV1: 50
HSV2: .93

Negative: < 0.90
equivocal: 0.90 – 1.09
positive: > 1.09

He has had 2 sexual partners in his entire life. The first one ended in 2017 and the second one is me. Should we pursue a western blot? his results were equivocal.

Since we are both HSV1 positive, is unprotected sex with no meds okay?

[LifeMovesForward]

Hi Terri! i paid for some additional follow up questions.

You were right! the oral sore was not HSV2 🙂
I got my IGG results back yesterday (2 years after the oral sore appeared in 2017)

HSV1 – 15.03
HSV2 – < .90

1) What does the number actually mean? as in what is 15.03? why do some peoples number go as high as 63? but other people never go past 5? do they have more antibodies?

I know you answer dozens of questions daily so just in case you don’t remember our thread off the top of your head, I was the one who was having a hard time with GHSV1 disclosure. As soon as you say “genital herpes” nothing you say after that seems to matter, I find that people only know about HSV2 so if your say you have genital HSV1, they think its exactly the same as HSV2, and that once you get it on the genitals, its just HSV2 and the transmission rates are the same etc. this has been a nightmare for me and I’m trying to develop a disclosure that is both fair to them and me.

I am over 3 years past infection, I have never had an outbreak after the initial one.

You brought up really good points for me to consider that I would have never thought of! Thank you for that. I am trying to be fair and also avoid being wrongly stigmatized with HSV2

What I conclude from what you said is

1) In your opinion, disclosure of GHSV1 after 2 years and about a 1% shedding rate is not necessary?

BUT if one decides not to disclose anything, legality/trust COULD become an issue, to avoid that:

2) Disclosing “I have HSV1, the virus that typically causes cold sores” without mentioning the location, and/or showing them my test results with a positive HSV1 result without mentioning location is fair? and if they ask questions about where the infection is etc, I would be 100% honest, if not, leave it be? Just making sure this is fair! 🙂 I know oral HSV1 sheds 26% of days so that seems to be a much bigger risk than a 1% rate

Thanks for the help!! I’m so grateful for this service

[LifeMovesForward]

Thanks for the reply, Im grateful for you.

1) I recently scheduled to get tested. It has come to my attention that the vast majority of clinics (even STD specialty clinics) do NOT test for HSV unless its a swab of an active lesion. When you say “I’d like to get tested for everything” it almost NEVER includes HSV IGG test unless you insist and insist. Even on several online forums people are complaining of the same thing. Having to insist on HSV testing, and some doctors outright wont even order the test if you don’t have symptoms. Why is that? That seems unreasonable considering most people with HSV don’t know they have it.

2) Do you recommend HSV testing for people who do not, and have never had symptoms of HSV?

3)How often would you recommend testing? is the recommendation different for singles VS couples?

4) Is it true that repeated testing for HSV increases chances of false positives?

5) does having GHSV1 and potentially oral HSV1 as well offer any HSV2 protection? is it common to have GHSV1 and GHSV2 at the same time?

6) I read a study on HSV perseverance in the US. Why is HSV2 SO much higher in some ethnicities than others?

Just to wrap up and conclude the main point of this thread as I know this is my final post:

After 2 years and about a 1 % annual shedding rate, Disclosure of Genital HSV1 is not necessary? (of course if someone wishes to, they can, but it is not a must?)

and

Saying “I have HSV1, the virus that typically causes cold sores” without mentioning the location of the HSV (unless asked) is a fair disclosure?

I am grateful for the time you take to run this website. If its not too much of a personal question, what made you wish to study and specialize in HSV? whatever the reason, I’m so glad you’re here!!

[LifeMovesForward]

Question #4 had typos. I meant to say:

Does your opinion of if its necessary to disclose GHSV1 depend on the length of infection? for example, the need to disclose for someone who has a newer infection is different than someone who has been infected for more than 2 years?

[LifeMovesForward]

Follow up #1: Thanks for the reply. I looked up pictures of the angular chelitis and it looked very much like that! It is also reasonable that it could be oral HSV1 because I have had a couple episodes in my nose after the initial mouth sore. Next time it happens i’ll have it swabbed.

1) Have you ever seen, heard of, or are there any documented cases of oral HSV2 being transmitted in any way, shape or form?

My doctor told me that GHSV1 typically does not need antivirals due to low shedding and low transmission, and the advice was that I don’t take medication and see the natural course of my infection and how my body handles it. I am now seeing someone different from the person who gave me GHSV1, my new partner has verbalized that he does NOT want to use condoms throughout the course of our relationship. Me and my new partner will be getting tested for everything in the second week of January. I know almost half of the U.S has HSV1, but:

Assuming he is truly negative for all HSV

2) If we NEVER use condoms and I do not take antivirals, how likely is it I will transmit my GHSV1 to him?

3) How common is genital to genital HSV1 transmission? (is female to male even lower like HSV2 Female to male?)

4) Does your opinion of if its necessary to disclose GHSV1 depend of how length of infection? for example someone who has a newer infection versus someone who has been infected for more than 2 years?

5) The study of GHSV1 shedding stopped at 2 years, do you believe that shedding rates keeps decreasing after that? for example maybe if they did a follow up at 7-10 years, it could be even lower?

6) In the far future when I have children, is GHSV1 something I need to mention to my OBGYN? can I transmit through vaginal delivery? If so how do I prevent it? by the time I plan on having children I will have had GHSV1 for 10 years

7) can Oral HSV1 be transmitted via sharing chaptsick, lipgloss, utensils, cups?

Thank you so much! I am very grateful for you.

[LifeMovesForward]

For question # 1, to clarify, if the person I disclosed to ends up asking specific questions after I tell them I have HSV1 (about location etc) I’d answer them honestly. If they view it as no big deal and dont ask questions, then I’d leave it be without mentioning the location of the HSV1. Let me know what you think about that approach

[LifeMovesForward]

Thank you so much for your response Ms. Warren.

One day after rough sex I experienced a tear on the inside of my vagina. It was
painful to sit or bend for a few days so I went to go get it checked out. They took
a swab of the tear and i had blood work done for HSV. the swab isolated hsv-1 and my
blood work was HSV-1 and HSV-2 IGG type specific. Negative for HSV-2 and positive for
HSV-1 with a value of 1.61 (>.90). If I am not mistaken, form what the doctors have told
me, IGG is indicative of an old infection, not really a recent one, so if I have ghsv1,
The last time I had sex (a week prior to testing) was not when I was infected? Is that
number (1.61) high? or low? Of course I know you cant tell me when exactly I was infected
but can that number at least tell you if it was somewhat recent (6 months or less) or really
old (1 year+) thanks for the help, I appreciate what you do.

[LifeMovesForward]

I completely underand that (though rare, even when your partner is HSV1-) transmission CAN occur
Im just trying to understand how many specialist have actually seen it. Most doctors who work 40+ years say theyve never actually seen a genital to genital hsv1 tranmission, though it is possible.

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