[Question #3701] Herpes Simplex 2 Equivocal Result (IGG)

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87 months ago
I'm a male in good physical health. I recently got a Herpes blood test done, IGG, and the Simplex 1 index was negative and the Simplex 2 index was .96 (equivocal). 
I have never shown any symptoms and have not been sexually active for about a year, and I've only ever have has sex with condoms in my life. Due to my low risk factors and lack of symptoms, do I need to be tested again?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
87 months ago
I actually don't think that you need to be tested again since it has been a year since you've had sex.  While the IgG test does miss 30% of HSV 1 and 8% of HSV 2, since you've used condoms with all encounters in your lifetime, I think your risk is really low.  You are not in the process of serconverting - that is going from negatie to positive - since your time of last sexual encounter was so long ago.  If you want more certainty about your herpes status, the herpes western blot is the gold standard against which all other tests are compared. 

Terri
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87 months ago
Thank you Terri! I appreciate your response. So, with my low risk and the fact that I cannot be serconverting, is it safe to say I do not have HSV 2 despite the 0.96 test result?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
87 months ago
I think it is highly unlikely that you have herpes, I would not say I am sure that you don't since the test does miss 8% of HSV 2 infections.

Terri
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