I've had intermittent irritation on the left side of my scrotum for several months — mild stinging or prickly sensations — but never any visible sores, blisters, ulcers, or anything swabbable. Multiple providers examined me and found nothing herpetic.

I’m concerned about a single exposure on Nov 1 (protected anal sex, condom broke, replaced and continued). Partner claimed negative and gets tested frequently.

Here’s my testing history:

Day 80: Quest HSV-1 & HSV-2 IgG — Negative (<0.90 both)

Day 112: Repeat Quest — Negative (<0.90 both)

April 18 (~5.5 months): LabCorp (Roche Elecsys) — Negative for HSV-1 & HSV-2

April 23 (~5.75 months): University of Washington Western Blot — Negative for HSV-1 & HSV-2

My questions:

1. Could I still have HSV causing this scrotal irritation despite never having swabbable lesions?

2. Is a false negative on the Western Blot still possible at nearly 6 months?

3. I’ve read online that some people say they test negative by IgG and WB for years but swab positive — how is that possible?

I really appreciate your time and insig

We would never say never - we know that no test is perfect, but the western blot for HSV 2 is as good as it gets.  We do know the western blot misses 3-4 cases of HSV 1 out of 100.

It is impossible to know the circumstances of someone who posts on a website nor their motivations for posting what they post, so I can't address any particular post.  

But you've not only been negative on the blot but also on two IgG tests from two different labs.

What do you think it would take for you to believe these results?

Terri

I really just needed some reassurance from someone with actual experience and knowledge in this field. In your experience, are false negatives on the Western Blot actually likely at this point?

Thanks again for all your time and guidance — it really does help calm the noise.

Terri

I know I shouldn’t doubt the results — with the testing I’ve done and how unlikely false negatives are, it’s clear I don’t need to keep carrying this worry. I’m hoping to make a post soon to help others who are stuck in the same place I was — to remind them to trust the science, get the blot if they need peace of mind, and avoid Reddit if it’s just making things worse.

Thank you again — and thanks to the other experts here as well — for all the work you do. It really makes a differen

Terri