[Question #7089] gHSV1 Questions
 |
61 months ago
|
Hi there. I was just diagnosed with genital HSV1 last week and had a few questions. First, my story for context - the last time I had unprotected sex was about two months ago with a guy named B. Since then, I met a guy named C and on our third date (this was not even two weeks ago), he told me that he had gHSV2. I asked a lot of questions including whether he has oHSV1 also to which he said no. With that info, I let him perform oral sex on me and I touched him for 5 minutes or so and that was it, which I considered safe. The next day, I had a sore near my clitoris and started to worry that I somehow got his gHSV2 by touching him and then touching myself or something. This sore ended up turning into my first outbreak, I went to the doctor and the culture test surprisingly came back as gHSV1, which leads me to believe I got it from B who I had sex with last. Here are my questions:
1) If I did get gHSV1 from B (who I had sex with 2 months ago), is it possible that I simply didn't have my first outbreak until now? Seems very coincidental to me that C performing oral on me triggered it. Is that a thing?
2) I'm going to get an IgG test tomorrow. If HSV1 antibodies come close to 0, I can assume that I got this infection from C correct? I thought that if you have HSV2 first, you are pretty much immune to HSV1 so I'm considering it unlikely I got it from him but wanted to see. And on the contrary, if I have established HSV1 antibodies, I can assume it was B? Playing detective over here :)
3) I read that it's possible to get gHSV2 even if you already have gHSV1, but not the other way around. How likely is that to happen? I thought having one HSV would "protect" you from the other to an extent. If I did get gHSV2 too, would it overpower the gHSV1 given it's a more serious strain?
Thank you so much for your help! I truly appreciate all that y'all do.
 |
Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
61 months ago
|
1. You could have had HSV 1 for years and it likely came from receiving oral sex. this could be partner B but less likely partner C since the symptoms came up a single day after the encounter. And if you've received oral sex from other partners in the past, you could have had it before partners B and C. it is certainly possible you got this from partner B if he gave you oral sex, yes.
2. If your IgG test is very low positive or negative, yes, new infection is likely. However, since the IgG test misses 30% of HSV 1, it's hard to know anything for sure with this test. However, if the test is a high positive, it suggests you've had this for a while.
3. It is true that once someone has HSV 2, they almost certainly will not get HSV 1 subsequently. But a person could have HSV 1 prior to getting HSV 2 and not know they have it - they may not have symptoms or the IgG test could miss it on testing.
Terri
--- |
61 months ago
|
Hi Terri, thanks for the quick response. Follow up on my third question:
1) Is it less likely for someone with gHSV1 already to get gHSV2? Wondering if already having HSV1 provides any immunity.
2) I understand that having gHSV1 is much milder symptoms and recurrence-wise than with gHSV2. If I was to get gHSV2 now, would I maintain the mild symptoms of gHSV1 or would gHSV2 take over?
3) If you do have both strains genitally, how does your body choose to which to shed?
Thank you.
|
Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
61 months ago
|
1. No, but it makes the 2. acquisition of HSV 2 more likely to be mildly symptomatic or with no symptoms at all.
2. We don't have research on that but my educated guess is that your HSV 2 would recur far more often than HSV 1 genitally
3. Likely both strains would shed some, but HSV 2 far more.
Terri
--- |
61 months ago
|
Hi again,
I got my blood test results back and all was negative. HSV I/II iGg = 0.38 and iGm = 0.85. Questions:
1) I know these tests aren't all that accurate for HSV1 in particular, but can I conclude that I'm negative for HSV2? That's really what I wanted to know most of all.
2) Are antibodies created upon initial infection or initial outbreak? How long can it take for antibodies to show up?
3) Since HSV1 "prefers" the oral region, how does it choose to infect the genitals (if transmitted orally) instead of the mouth given that kissing is likely involved before any sexual activity?
Thanks again for all of your help.
|
Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
61 months ago
|
1. With 92% certainty, you do not have HSV 2.
2. Antibodies are formed with the initial infection, NOT with the initial or first recognized outbreak. Sometimes they are the same thing but not always.
3. That's a great question and I dont' have the answer. However, it could be that the genital tissue is more vulnerable to viral penetration that the lips of the mouth which are a bit thicker. That's an educated guess. HSV 1 is less picky about where it lives than HSV 2, which strongly prefers the genitals.
Terri
---