How do you trust an IgG test for herpes?

[consuminganxieties]

Just did my first STI testing but have been most concerned about HSV. Never had a partner disclose it, used condoms except one time for 30 seconds and blowjobs. My last sexual encounter was around 1 year ago, and I am having a lot of anxiety about getting a false positive/negative on my blood test. What are the chances of that happening with exposures that happened over 6 months-1 year? How do I know what to trust? Never had an oral or genital outbreak but I know I can be a carrier.

[Flowerteacher55]

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out. I'm sure so many people share this worry, so you bringing this up is helping so many people! Thank you! 

What type of STI testing did you get (blood and urine or just blood) and do you know what they were testing for?

As a basic reference...

The following STIs are usually detected via urine: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Trichinosis, yeast infection

The following STIs are detected via blood: Syphilis, HIV, HSV/Herpes, Hepatitis B and C

The following STIs are detected via a swab of the cervix: HPV

Have you ever had any symptoms of anything before? 

If you are worried about herpes specifically, please know the facts: if someone has HSV and you are intimate with them, the percent of them passing it to you is already lower than you think. The risk for HSV-2 positive men passing it to a woman is 5% with the use of a condom and the risk for a HSV-2 positive woman to pass it to a man is 2% with the use of a condom.

Remember, if you test positive for any STI, it isn't a reflection of who you are as a person. Getting STIs is honestly a normal (and not fun) part of being sexually active. Some people never get one, some people do. It's okay and normal and your life is not over!

If you do have herpes and you contracted it a year ago, it is possible that it would appear in an IgG blood test. If you come back positive for herpes, it should tell you the type. If you do have herpes, it's not the end of the world. about 2/3 of the world has oral HSV-1, and around 12-13% of the world has HSV-2. There have been increasing rates of genital HSV-1 as a result of increased oral sex rates in today's society. However, please know that you are safe and will live a happy life regardless of what the test says.  

Stay well and be kind to yourself. Please reach out with any other questions or if you need support!

Sending blessings and prayers your way for a negative STI report! 🙂 

Blessings,

grace

 

[Flowerteacher55]

Also, it can be hard to trust test results because we know there is always that chance that the results are wrong. However, think positive and stay hopeful! 🙂❤️ 

the accuracy rate of IgG blood tests for herpes are usually 94% accurate, and have a false negative rate of up to 38% and a false positive rate of up to 19%. The fact that it has been a year since your last sexual encounter helps with testing, because it can take 12+ weeks for IgG antibodies to show up on a test.

Read more about testing here! https://stdcenterny.com/herpes-testing.html#:~:text=The IgG test is about,50% false-negative results. 

 

[consuminganxieties]

@Flowerteacher55 I requested to have the IgG blood test done for herpes (had trich, HIV, chlamydia/gonorrhea, syphilis, etc too). I've never had symptoms of anything in my life and my last sexual encounter was 1 year ago. 

[Flowerteacher55]

Hi!

Let go of your worries. It'll all be okay! It's great you are looking into everything and that you care about your health. Let us know when you get the blood results!! 

Blessings! ☀️🌻