[Question #4087] HSV 2 Positive Test Question
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84 months ago
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About 4 years ago. I was entering a new relationship and my partner asked me to get tested for STD's. It was my first time getting tested in 4+ years and I was pretty nervous (at this point I had engaged in a decent amount of unprotected sex the previous years) but had no symptoms. I asked the doctor what was included in the testing. I think it was all the standards but no herpes testing. For some reason I told him i wanted to get tested for Herpes. The Dr. recommended against this but for some reason I insisted and they gave me a herpes blood test. I'm not sure of the exact type of blood test but i was not given any numerical values connected to the results.
When the results came back they told me I was positive for antibodies of HSV 1 + HSV 2. I told my new partner as we had already had unprotected sex. Since we were already in a monogamous relationship, I did not think much of this news and at the time we thought we would be together forever. I never went back for a follow up because my partner and I accepted this fact and decided it was not much of an issue for us. I figured if i developed symptoms I would go back to the Dr.
Four years later I have never had any symptoms or outbreaks at all. I have recently split up with my partner and this has now become a major issue for me. I have a mutual romantic interest in someone new but I'm left unsure of exactly to do now. I can't figure out or remember who the Dr. I saw was because it was so long ago and I only saw him once.
I was wondering what is the possibility that I received a false positive? If the CDC does not recommend testing and I have no symptoms do I technically have herpes?
What specific tests should I get to confirm or deny this? What is the appropriate measures to take. If I actually have hsv 2 is there a chance it is not genital herpes? What is the actual transmission rates for with and without medication for unprotected sex with no outbreak, sex with a condom with no outbreak? I can't seem to find th
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
84 months ago
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Whether the CDC recommends testing or not (the CDC says when doing a full STD screen, herpes antibody testing should be considered) has nothing to do with whether you are infected or not - and 80% of those actually infected with HSV 2 would say that they have no symptoms and don't know they are infected. But they are still infected and infectious to others.
We know that 95% of people who test positive for HSV 2 by western blot have their infection genitally and virus can be identified when doing daily home swabbing of the genitals for a four month period.
If you have HSV 2 and do nothing to prevent transmission and have sex twice per week on average, the transmission rate is about 4% per year, assuming you have disclosed this information to a partner and are avoiding sex during outbreaks or times when you feel one coming on. If you add condoms, you reduce transmission to about 2% and if you add antivirals, to a obut 1%.
I would strongly suggest that you obtain an IgG test and look for values on your HSV 2 test that are greater than 3.5. You don't seem to even know which test was used to make this diagnosis and doing a test through LabCorp or Quest will give you an index value and a better idea if you are actually infected or not.
Terri
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84 months ago
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Is there a reliable home test to get this information?
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84 months ago
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Also is the % per year the same as the % for one time or does risk divide between the individual times of the years? Sorry i'm confused by why it is by the year.
Thank you,
Brendan
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
84 months ago
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There is not a reliable home test that I know about. The percentage is by year correct. Having sex twice per week.
Terri Warren
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