[Question #12786] Can HSV 1 be misdiagnosed for HSV 2?
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5 months ago
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I recently got an HSV test and I came back positive for type 2 but not 1. I know growing up I always had cold sores/blisters around my mouth up until I was 28. I am now 34. I have never had a genital herpes outbreak and had swabbed lesions in the past and came back negative. How do I confirm? This social stigma is very overwhelming.
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
5 months ago
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Was there a number associated with that result or just reactive or non-reactive?
The HSV IgG tests are quite flawed and miss HSV 1 30% of the time, compared to the gold standard herpes antibody test, the western blot. There are also a lot of false positives on the IgG test for HSV 2. That western blot is done only at the University of Washington but any clinician can send samples there with the appropriate order. If you want to know your true HSV status, that's the test that should be ordered for you.
Terri
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