[Question #8769] Equivocal HSV 2 Results

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40 months ago
Recently got results back for equivocal HSV2. Last time I had a sexual encounter was late Feb and was informed they sometimes get cold sores but didn’t have outbreak then. Can HSV1 be passed to me and show up as equivocal HSV2? This was about 2 months ago, wouldn’t it show up Pos already if I had it? I also had Syphilis awhile ago and got treated. Would these antibodies show up as Herpes? 
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
40 months ago
syphilis positivity would not show up as herpes antibody, no.
If HSV 1 was passed to you by a partner, it would have been through oral sex (them giving) and would not show up as an equivocal HSV 2.
I strongly suspect that your equivocal result is simply a function of this being a poor test and telling lots of people that they have herpes when they don't have herpes or telling them the are equivocal, which means nothing really, but does alarm people.  In all my years of administering the herpes western blot, I've only had one person with an equivocal score on the IgG test come back positive on the western blot.  And I've ordered many western blots for people who test in this range.  I would say the chances are excellent that this result does not indicate HSV 2 infection in you.  If you are still concerned about it, you could get the western blot for greatest clarity.

Terri
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40 months ago
Thanks for the clarity Terri. Would equivocal be able to pass to a partner if i had a sexual encounter with? 
How would i got about ordering this western blot test? 
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
40 months ago
I think there is some confusion here.  
People are either infected or they are not infected.  If they are infected, they can potentially infect a sex partner.
The equivocal says nothing about infectivity or not.  The question is this:  does an equivocal result indicate that someone is infected or not?  And most often, it indicates that they are not infected.  However, when someone has a brand new infection, they will go from negative on antibody test, then into the equivocal range, into positive.  Sometimes, a blood draw will find someone in the process of making antibody and they will test in the equivocal range.  The reason I don't think that fits for you is that the timing isn't right - if you were infected in February, I would expect you to have gone through that equivocal range maybe early March, not now. 
I can help you with the herpes western blot at westoverheights.com or you can work with your own provider and the University of Washington to get this testing done.  

Terri
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