[Question #643] Need a peace of mind
107 months ago
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Hello,
I was diagnosed with hsv 2 yr ago by an igm test . Already knew I had type one by igg test. Last oral and sexual encounter was in 2010 but I was tested consecutively since then always fine. I had a new partner during igm test no sexual or oral contact just kissing and touching so I had no idea how it was possible. I never was touched after she touched herself. But doctor told me if she used the bathroom and touched herself for ex and then touched me I prob got it that way. Her igg test were negative. 3 1/2 months later I got retested only igg type 1 positive type 2 negative but after we did kiss and touch again and her vagina went against my thigh but ever since the past year I've been having a weird feeling at entrance in vagina feels irritated and itchy but no bumps new dr doesn't advise hsv igg testing bc she said can give false positives too tested negative for all other stds but feel I need to get tested again bc of the weird feeling at entrance of vagina I keep getting . This whole experience has left me with no peace of mind I feel everything is herpes . Plz advise
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
107 months ago
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The IgM test is terribly unreliable and the CDC says never to use it. I would disagree with your doctors assessment also of how you might have acquired HSV.
I can certainly understand why you have no peace of mind here. The test to use to try to see if you have herpes or not is only the IgG, never IgM, and it should be done 12 weeks after any concerning encounter. The kind of encounter that you described here does not qualify as an event that could result in herpes infection. If you were my patient, I would strongly encourage you to believe your negative IgG test at 3.5 months post encounter. at 12 weeks, the test only misses about 2% of infection compared to the herpes western blot, the gold standard test. Please let me know what other questions you might have, Ok?
Terri
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I can certainly understand why you have no peace of mind here. The test to use to try to see if you have herpes or not is only the IgG, never IgM, and it should be done 12 weeks after any concerning encounter. The kind of encounter that you described here does not qualify as an event that could result in herpes infection. If you were my patient, I would strongly encourage you to believe your negative IgG test at 3.5 months post encounter. at 12 weeks, the test only misses about 2% of infection compared to the herpes western blot, the gold standard test. Please let me know what other questions you might have, Ok?
Terri
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107 months ago
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Thank you would the current symptoms I'm experiencing suggest anything similar to hsv? (Irritated/itchy feeling at entrance of vagina with no bumps) Also on another note I had a dental appt my dentist told me she has a hiv patient she works on . Can that spread to other patients from dental equipment (don't know if this is overdoing but I'm just paranoid about everything now.)
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
107 months ago
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It's hard to say if your symptoms might be herpes related or not. I disagree that the test has many false positives - it actually has about 2.7% false positives and we can sort those out with a second test. And we know what index values lead to false positives as well. HIV cannot be spread through dental equipment assuming it is probably sterilized, which I'm sure it is - these days everything is so sterilized at the dentist!
Terri
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Terri
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107 months ago
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So there was an exposure risk? Would you recommend retesting ?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
107 months ago
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No, I don't think there was exposure risk! But can I say for certain that your genital symptoms couldn't be caused by HSV 1? Not for sure, no. Have you ever had a cold sore on your lip or in your nose? If yes, that would account for your HSV 1 antibody. But if you've never had that, we can't know for certain that you don't have HSV 1 infection genitally. Does that make sense?
Terri
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Terri
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107 months ago
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Thank you for your help I will try my best to leave this horrible testing situation in the past!
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
107 months ago
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sounds like a good plan to me!
Terri
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Terri
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