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Herpes Blood Test Question


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Posted

It's now been 2 months since her possible exposure.....roughly 5-6 weeks since we've seen something that "may have been an outbreak". If indeed it was an outbreak, would a blood test now be conclusive, or do we still need to wait until after 12 weeks? She's been driving herself crazy...every little bump or red spot makes her anxious...though so far the doctors have said they've been ingrown hairs, pimples etc....She had a blood test approx 4 weeks past possible exposure, and it was negative....we had trouble finding out the exact value because they were all morons, but then Nurse said it said negative and she 'thought' the number was .91, though since this is also the reference range we weren't sure if that was what she was reading. The blood test was done 1 month post possible exposure.so with all this considered, wondering if a blood test at this stage would be helpful, or if we could still end up with a negative blood result even if she has gotten HSV2?

Posted

She can take the blood test, but 12-16 weeks (3-4 months) is the average amount of time that it takes for antibodies to reach detectable levels in the blood.

 

So, if she gets tested now before that time window, 2 things could happen:

 

1. She gets a positive test result, meaning she does have herpes and the antibodies took less time to reach detectable levels than most other people on average.

 

2. She gets a negative test result, meaning she MIGHT be negative, but there's no telling if that's actually accurate since she may actually have herpes, but the antibodies just haven't reached detectable levels yet.

 

And hey, if she's getting any sort of bumps, then she can always go get them cultured and tested that way to ease any anxiety that they may be herpes.

 

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-tests

 

This content is for informational purposes only. This information does not constitute medical advice or diagnosis. I'm not a medical professional, so please take this as friendly peer support. 

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Posted

Does the severity of the initial outbreak indicate how quickly your body is developing antibodies? I had a pretty brutal and lengthy first OB and the diagnosis at the ER was "suspected HSV-2"? They drew enough blood to fill six or seven vials so what were they testing for with all that, if not this disease? I haven't gone to my dr yet, but would seem a waste of time if it takes 12weeks to develop the antibodies and I no longer have active lesions? Any thoughts?

Posted

Hi mermaid,

 

No, the severity of your first herpes outbreak has no effect on the development of antibodies. And if you were having an active herpes outbreak, your doctor should have swabbed the actual outbreak, not drawn blood. Unfortunately I've heard of plenty of cases where members from this forum have actually educated their doctors! So to answer your question specifically, yes, if the test comes back negative, you can't actually trust the result's validity due to the 12-16 week window to develop herpes antibodies in the bloodstream to detectable levels.

This content is for informational purposes only. This information does not constitute medical advice or diagnosis. I'm not a medical professional, so please take this as friendly peer support. 

Helpful resources:

Posted

I was pretty delirious and in a lot of pain at the ER so I will have to call to request the records to see if they did a swab. I think she made a visual confirmation, but not sure at all what the blood was for unless to rule out other infections. They did mention a spinal tap at one point because a type of meningitis could develop?? Is that correct? If I am not having (and do not have ...wishful thinking on my part) active lesions, how will they do a swab test? Is the swab test the culture test?

  • 1 year later...
Posted

Im not sure if this is where to post this question or not. I was with a partner who told me he had hsv2 but hadnt had outbreaks in a long time me being not fully aware of the

virus and how it works ended up sleeping with him, he then tried to claim that I had herpes as everytime he slept with me he would have an outbreak anywhere from 2-10 days. So I got tired of him trying to put blame on me so I went and got tested dr tells me my results are negative and I tell him that it seemed to lesson him trying to blame something on him. I forgot to ask the dr when she tested me if the test is separate for one and two as I have outbreaks on my lips Im guessing this is one anyways I guess my question is there separate tests for one and two and if not shouldnt my tests came back postive since I have outbreaks on my lips? Unfortunataely a relationship with him and I couldnt work out since he broke out mostly everytime we had sex, which was very disappointing for me as I felt very close to him and still do.

Posted

It is common for people to have ob after sex....it has nothing to do with you at all. Friction sometimes causes people to have ob plain and simple.

 

Ask ur dr to clarify what blood tests he gave you.

 

You should be positive for hsv1 if u have had cold sores a while.

 

I think you can have separate blood tests but best to ask ur dr to clarify.

 

You can start a new question or thread by clicking the new discussion button

 

 

Posted

@Mermaid2349, when you visit our ER we will draw a rainbow (one tube for each color). This doesn't mean each one is being tested, we just do it in case the doctors order more tests after the blood draw. (So we don't have to go back and stick you again). If they were testing you for anything that they might not do in house, then they will draw even more tubes for send outs. Hope that answers that question for you.

Posted

@Mermaid

 

Yes - the swab test is the culture test and you need to have something that looks like an OB....any Dr worth their salt won't do a visual diagnosis (they can say it "looks" like herpes but only a swab or blood test will confirm). And yes, they usually test for both H1 and 2 at the same time so you need to call and ask for a printed copy of your test results (you should ALWAYS get a hard copy of ALL tests anyway)

 

@crystal029

 

Look - the guy tells you he has Herpes then tries to tell you YOU are giving it to him? He obviously has had NO education around the virus or he's just looking for a scapegoat. yes, for some, the friction causes OB's ... but it's nothing that *you* caused.

 

However, if they did a test for Herpes and you have had cold sores, then you should have been positive for HSV1....

 

I suggest that you wait till 4 months post the last time you had sex, then go to an OBGYN or Planned Parenthood and get tested ... DON'T go to a GP or clinic if you can avoid it - they are often woefully under educated about herpes.

 

(((HUGS)))

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