[Question #13193] HSV1 Transmission and testing questions
1 months ago
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I (female) was exposed to hsv via oral sex with my boyfriend on Friday, 5/30. It was brief, lasted maybe 1-2 minutes. He had a cold sore that was dry and scabbed and I assumed it was an acne scab healing since I’d never known him to get cold sores.
I’ve visited my PCP and had IgG bloodwork done to see if I already had hsv1. Hsv1 and hsv2 came back nonreactive; IgG testing performed using the Roche Elecsys IgG assay.
– Is it very likely that I will contract hsv1 from this brief encounter considering he had a scabbed cold sore at the time?
Reddit has made me feel like it’s a pretty high likelihood.
– With knowledge that I did not have hsv1 prior to my exposure 33 days ago, would you say the Roche bloodwork to check IgG 12 weeks post exposure would be pretty accurate/definitive? I am having so much anxiety over this that I am also planning to test at 6 weeks. What would be the accuracy of the Roche test for hsv1 at 6 weeks? I believe Terri said 70% but also that the Roche testing can miss 30% of hsv1 anyway? I’m just so confused.
– I am now 33 days post exposure and have had no symptoms that I can tell. I did take two 1000mg Valtrex a day for about the first week post exposure. Would this have prevented an initial outbreak entirely and caused me to “miss” knowing if I did contract it from my exposure?
Thank you!!
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
1 months ago
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Sorry I missed this post until now! It is not very likely that you will contract HSV 1 via this contact but you surely could. The average time from exposure to the virus to symptoms, if you are going to have them, is 5.5 days so you may know more by now. A Roche test done at 8-10 weeks will probably be accurate. At 6 weeks, there is a 70% chance you will be positive, if you are going to be positive from this encounter. We don't have data yet on how much HSV 1 this newer test misses.
At 33 days out, with no symptoms, I would guess that you did not get infected, but you could test in another couple of weeks to see your status.
Remember that this virus can be transmitted even when no symptoms are present (from your partner), just so you know
Terri
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1 months ago
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Hi Terri, I know you are quite a busy woman, no worries! Thank you for your response. I did ask this question on your other forum on June 4 so you can disregard there! Yes, I’m about 5.5 weeks post exposure now with no sores or lesions. I will test at 6 weeks to ease some anxiety, which has been pretty extreme to be honest, and then again at 10 weeks. Do you think I’d need to further test at 12 or 16 weeks to be conclusive or can I put this to bed with the 10 week result?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
1 months ago
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I think for the IgG test, 10 weeks is adequate, yes. And remember there are limitations for the IgG test for HSV 1. If you are negative but can't let it go, worry-wise, we can always do the western blot together.
tErri
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12 days ago
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Hi Terri! I did get negative HSV 1 (and 2 but my exposure and worry was with HSV1) results at 7 weeks and 10 weeks — nonreactive using the roche elecsys igg testing at Lapcorp. Are there numbers on the accuracy of this testing for HSV1? I’d really like to put this worry to bed.
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
11 days ago
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Yes, we have that data. The sensitivity of the Roche test for HSV 1 is 85% (compared to the western blot). So not terrific but not too bad either.
Terri
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