Hi

Testing positive for HSV one can be a complicated issue. A positive test cannot tell you the location of your infection, only that you are infected with that type of herpes. Have you ever in your life had a cold sore on your lip or in your nose? If the answer is yes, even as a child, then you know that you have HSV one orally.  If that is the case, it is extremely unlikely that you would subsequently acquire HSV one genitally. 

And you are correct that HSV-2 rarely gets transferred to someone giving oral sex. If someone has HSV one on their mouth, they certainly can transmit that virus to the genitals of another person by giving them oral sex. If someone has HSV one in the genital area, that virus is rarely reactivated and it would be very unusual for someone giving them oral sex to then get HSV one on their mouth. There are lots of possible scenarios that we've just discussed here and if you are confused about anything that I have written, please feel free to ask me for clarification.

Terri
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Thanks for your response.  I do not remember getting a cold sore before and I did test negative 2 years ago so am I correct in assuming I got it in the last 2 years?

That's difficult to say because the IgG test misses HSV 1 infections 30% of the time so it could have missed it 2 years ago.  The only way to know if the infection is oral or genital is to have an outbreak either orally or genitally (waist to mid-thigh) and have it swab tested right away to typed (type 1or 2). 

Terri
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My igg test for hsv 1 was 25.20 H.....is that a high number?   Does a high number indicate anything?

That's not a high number - it's an average number.  It really doesn't mean anything in terms of how long you have been infected.  Wish we could use that to help you sort things out but unfortunately, not.

Terri
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