Hello Ms. Warren, or who ever responds to this.

I’m 24 year old gay man who has had frequent sex partners. I usually get tested every 3 months because of this. All tests typically come out negative for everything including herpes. 

My sexual activities include mutual masturbation, oral sex without condoms in which I am always the one servicing, kissing, occasional anilingus in which I am the one receiving.  

I want to be clear here that I don’t really have traditional anal sex at all. What I mean by that is: that when I have “had it” it has happened at most 3 times in my life.

 It has always consisted of them wearing a condom, them penetrating for at most 30secs, and then me stopping the interaction because I have felt uncomfortable/ didn’t like it .

I recently graduated school In August 2019 and since then have not had any sexual partners. 

On 11/27/2019 I woke up with a condition diagnosed as Bell’s palsy. I went to the ER and the doctors there informed me that this can happen and most people recover within 6 months. 

Because I had done my research, I knew that medical research associates this condition with HSV. I asked my doctors about this and they discouraged me from getting tested at all because Bell’s isn’t a symptom of HSV.

 Being an anxious individual and knowing I was sexually active. I ordered tests anyway, through an online testing service (FDA approved testing) and got tested 12/13/2019. I tested positive for HSV2 I will leave my results below.

HSV-2 Type Spec Ab, IgG w/Rflx :    15.10

HSV 2 IgG, Type Spec 

Negative <0.91 

Equivocal 0.91 - 1.09

 Positive >1.09

I have never had an outbreak.

My questions are as follows.

Considering my sexual activities, and results, do you think my diagnosis is accurate ie should I get retested ?

If I’m considering this positive, how should I move forward ie Can I still kiss people and not pass it? 

How is it transmitted? Is it skin to skin, or secretions like blood or saliva ? What type of skin is vulnerable?

I need a assistance because I’m getting conflicting answers from all my healthcare providers.

Considering my sexual activities, and results, do you think my diagnosis is accurate ie should I get retested ?

With an index value this high, I think you should consider yourself positive.  UW had a patient with an index value of 14 who did not confirm by western blot and I had one at 12 that did not confirm, but these are rare events.  If money is not an issue, you could certainly do the western blot as a confirmation but I think it is unlikely that you would be negative on the blot.  I would agree that your experiences do not suggest HSV 2 is likely at all.  But in your case, it is possible that you picked it up from giving oral sex.

If I’m considering this positive, how should I move forward ie Can I still kiss people and not pass it?

If you have HSV 2 orally and there is no way to know that without a positive swab from an oral lesion, you are shedding very infrequently and I don't think kissing is much of a risk at all though not zero.

How is it transmitted? Is it skin to skin, or secretions like blood or saliva ? What type of skin is vulnerable?

Well, in you, because nothing here makes much sense, I think your mouth is probably the most likely site of infection, it would be spread from deep kissing or giving oral sex but again, that is not much of a risk at all.  It is not transmitted via blood.  Thin skin is vulnerable - penis, anus

I need a assistance because I’m getting conflicting answers from all my healthcare providers.

Your case isn't simple so I'm not surprised that you are getting conflicting information.  I"m puzzled as well.

So if money was not an issue and I was in your situation, I would obtain the western blot.  If positive, I would go on suppressive therapy without having a clue where the infection was.  But that's just me and my plan.  What do you think?

Terri

Any information on how to go about ordering a western blot would be greatly appreciated and accepted. As well as any information related to completing that task. ie Cost, whether insurance can cover it, who to contact, whether I need to go to a specific lab.

Also, I have had ulcers insideand only inside my mouth before (on the sides of my tongue, inner cheek, innerbottom lip, on the roof of my mouth)

But:

1: They typically go away within 5-6 days. 

2: I’ve done my own research as well as have asked multiple general physicians, and dentists about this and they have all confirmed what I have thought, Which is that they were canker sores.

3: All the times I have had them and the weeks, months, and years after, I had been sticking religiously with 3 months testing for all STDs. This includes the HSV type specific IGG tests. They have always been negative until now.

Other than that and Bell’s Palsy, I have had no symptoms.

Are those ulcers a presentation of HSV2 that consistent, 3 month, IGG Testing somehow missed?

Can masturbating two penises together against each other transmit HSV2?