[Question #9420] HSV

32 months ago

I am a 44 yo female who was diagnosed with genital HSV 1 and 2 recently. I am struggling with when and where I contracted this. I had unprotected sex with two people in the weeks before I had my first outbreak that I am aware of. However, unfortunately I have had mostly unprotected sex my entire life and recently with a handful of people as I was struggling with a long term relationship breakup.

I am unsure how helpful it will be for my mental health to know the source.

My blood work came back negative but the culture was positive.

My question is, can it be possible that I have been carrying the herpes virus for possibly months or years with no symptoms but the levels of antibodies in my blood are low enough to just not be detected with the blood test?

Thank you very much.

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

32 months ago

I think there is likely some mistake here. It is extremely unlikely that both are positive from the same lesion. Are you able to look at the results again and post them exactly as it reads here?

What sort of blood work was done - IgG, IgM? Important to know that.

If you had been previously infected, it is more likely that the antibody test, if IgG, which is the only one that should have been done, is negative for both.

There is a lot more to learn here and I hope you will respond with that needed information

The only way to know who might have given this to you is to have those two partners get tested to see what they have or don't have. You may or may not be successful in that venture.

Terri

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32 months ago

Thank you, Terri.

I am definitely confused by all this. I’m trying to wrap my head around how I am in this situation.

10/10/22

HSV 1 NAA

Positive

HSV 2 NAA

Positive

10/12/22

HSV 1/2 w/RFLX

Supplemental Testing

HSV 1 IGG, Type Spec

Your value

<0.91 index

HSV 2 IgG, Type Spec

<0.91 index

Note: negative indicates no antibodies detected

Equivocal may indication early infection

Is it possible I was infected years ago if I am not equivocal?

It is possible that the two recent partners are negative and they did not give it to me, correct?

Thank you!!!

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

32 months ago

I strongly suspect there is something wrong with that NAAT testing. It appears that you are indeed infected and that you have no prior antibody.

It is likely that you acquired either HSV 1 or HSV 2 from one of the recent partners. Could you please describe your first outbreak for me in more detail?

The way to find out what's actually going on here is to repeat the IgG test in about a month and see which antibody level is climbing.

What lab did this test?

Terri

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