camilo

I was prepared to accept a confirmation of hsv-2 after having learned about how common it is and realizing that I didn't have any symptoms apparently. I had a rash on the scrotum but Terri Warren said in all her years of practice that she hadn't seen that be indicative of hsv-2. From what I've read I G G is a good indicator for hsv-2 if you're reading is above 3 but anything below 3 there's a high probability for a false positive. The internet is a very powerful tool. I also diagnosed my mom's illness on the internet which went undiagnosed for 7 years by various doctors. Before internet diagnosis she was wheelchair-bound and lost much of her cognitive ability now she is up and walking and back at 100% mentally.

I tested 1.19 for hsv2 on the IGG 2 weeks out from encounter and later 1.42 16 weeks out. Both times negative for hsv1. My doctor told me no question that I had hsv2. I had the Western blot done at the University of Washington to confirm because I had read that Igg scores under 2 are 85 percent incorrect in diagnosing HSV 2. I just got my results back from Western blot and its negative for hsv2, positive hsv1, completely opposite of my IGG scores. So spread the word, from what I've heard and experienced doctors are grossly uninformed about diagnosis and the accuracy of the IGG tests. Also getting the Western blot done was really easy. University of Washington sent me a kit in the mail and I went to Anylabtestnow lab and it took 20 minutes for them to draw my blood. I had gone to two other labs associated with hospitals and they wouldn't process the kit, you have to go to anylabtestnow. It's a basically a lab in the box and they are all over the country. I was very pleased with their service. Also the folks at University of Washington always pick up the phone right away and are very nice.

Thank you

What was your "low" Igg score Hiking Girl?

What was your IGG number? I had a 1.19 2 weeks after the encounter and a 1.48 14 weeks out. There's a 75% chance it could be a false positive. Anything under a 3.5 IGG has a fifty-fifty chance of being a false positive. To get an accurate reading you need to be tested about 14 weeks out to allow the antibodies enough time to build up. If your test stays below a 3.5 you need a Western blot test from University of Washington to confirm

Got it. Thanks.

@HikingGirl Why do you recommed going thru Terri for Western Blot? I called U. Washington. They are sending me a kit. Seems straight forward.

Terri Warren says that if you get multiple low score IGG tests it's a waste of time to keep getring tgem.

I should qualify that I did get a rash on my scrotum but Terry says that is usually not symptomatic. And from my understanding 85% of the people who have it don't know they have it either because they don't recognize the signs or they don't have symptoms

I will probably get Western blot. But I noticed that Terry said recently that if you have two false positives that low then it's probably the correct reading and you don't need a western blot. I'm waiting to hear back from her on my particular situation.

Thank you. I have not had symptoms. And I don't have HSV-1.

Two weeks after having unprotected sex with someone I was tested with an IGG reading of 1.19. My partner disclosed to me that she was actually confirmed positive with a high Igg. I just got tested again 14 weeks later and it's 1.42. Terri Warren has said that with such low readings both times it's almost certain to be a false positive. The CDC itself says that readings below 3 are likely to be a false positive. So I am kind of left in a quandary wondering if I even need to disclose that I am almost certain not to have it but there's a chance I might. The scary thing is think all the people that are getting these false positives and then told by their doctor they have herpes when they really don't. Thoughts?

When you have an outbreak how long does it last?

I'm not sure what you mean by forgive. I've accepted that we were two consenting adults and that I am as much to blame as she is. I'm more disappointed than anything. It's funny how our culture makes a libertine lifestyle seem so easy, without consequence. What I've learned is that the fundamentals of good judgment that go back generations still apply. I exercised poor judgment.

Thank you for your responses. Interesting. I contracted it through just one encounter. I had the test taken 2 weeks after the encounter and it was 1.19 on the IGG for HSV 2. I'm getting tested again in 12 weeks to see if the number changes per Terri Warren's recommendation. The person with whom I had the encounter was tested and is high positive for HSV 2. The symptom I had was itchy rash on the scrotum and I also got a blood blister on the cuticle of my index finger which I thought might be Whitlow. According to Terri Warren it is highly unusual for hsv-2 to show up as a rash on your scrotum. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Just be sure to use a water-based Lube.. the oil-based ones break down condoms. I wonder if coconut oil is okay to use with condoms?

According to the CDC's own guidelines, any score below a 3.5 on the IGG is dubious. Over half of those scores between 1 and 3.5 are actually false positives. For some reason most doctors and practitioners aren't aware of this information and they automatically assume that if you're only just over the equivocal you automatically have herpes. That simply is not true and it really concerns me but there are thousands of people out there who think they have herpes when they actually do not just because their doctor told them so. One needs to wait 12 weeks after the sexual encounter to get tested for IGG to get an accurate reading. It takes that long for the antibodies to kick in. I am not a doctor, I have just done extensive research online and read every post that has been posted to Terri Warren's blog. If you get continuous scores in the equivocal or positive range and they're below 3.5 you need to do the Western Blot at the University of Washington. They will send you a kit. Terri Warren can help you with that information. The Western blot is a more accurate reading than the IGG.

I think you probably need to give him a little bit more of a break. Disclosing an STD to someone I know from experience is a hard pill to swallow. I've had 7 sexual partners in my life and I'm 47, two of them told me they had herpes and I didn't want to hurt them, and I didnt have the courage, to tell them that it scared me off. I was one those who thought I could never contract such a thing. Now that I've been diagnosed with herpes from firsthand experience I can understand if a woman backs away without telling me straight out it's because of the diagnosis. Interesting thing is I've heard that upwards of 75% of single women over 45 have genital herpes. And as we all know 85% of people don't even know they have it.

@hiking girl: do you have any idea how your husband never contracted it? And thanks for your posts. They are very supportive and well written.

Thank you for sharing

Thank you for sharing. He sounds like a good guy given the fact that he was able to tell you so early on and didnt make it so dramatic. I wonder why some people seem to be so much more immune to catching it than others. I've heard stories of people being married for years and not getting it from their partner.

I'm not a doctor but from everything I've read I GM is completely under reliable if you got a negative on the IGG you should be fine. It does depend on when you get tested thiugh, it usually takes some weeks for the antibodies to respond.

Terri Warren says those transmission rates at the top of this post are inaccurate because the tests were done on couples in long term committed relationships; the transmission rate is likely much higher because the first 3 months of a sexual relationship are the most likely for it to be transmiited. Those couples doing the test would be beyond that, so preumably the one who is not yet infected has a relative immunity to the disease.

Thank you for the handbook.

I would get tested again. Your encountet was so minimal. And I understand about going back to OCD, i have descended back into my clinical depression, and I was doing well for 3 years. Im sorry for your hurt