I'm new and I got diagnosed last week with HSV-1

[Marc C]

Hello all,  I'm new here and got diagnosed positive of HSV-1 via IGG bloodtest last Thursday, April 25, 2019.  I had my first outbreak Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019.  I'm a male, 36 years of age.

Just wanted to say Hi, and I just need some support right now coz i'm very shocked still of what happened.  So like what a normal person does nowadays, we Google stuff and i found out that ~60% to ~80% of people at least have HSV-1 and/or HSV-2, that's a serious big number.  Is this statistics really correct?  You're telling me that every other person I see in the mall actually is on the same boat as me?  Coz I feel kinda alone, thinking why this have to happen to me... 😕

[My_dog_is_hungry]

Defo not alone, were crawling all over this planet 😁

I find following certain Instagram pages very helpful:

tatted_std_warrior

lovealwaysdev

honmychest

alexandraharbushka

To name a few.

[Tk2019]

Yes most people have HSV-1 but it typically favors the mouth and causes cold sores. And then for some people it never causes anything. My index for hsv-1 was so high I've probably had it for years although I've never had a cold sore in my life.

Most people who have either strain of the virus don't even know they have it and that's why there is so much misinformation about it. So we aren't alone, we just don't get to live in blissful ignorance of it.

[Marc C]

@My_dog_is_hungry haha!  well, that's somewhat comforting to know but at the same time, i was apparently an outcast (the 20% few) who didnt have any just last month!

@Tk2019  "we just don't get to live in blissful ignorance of it" you could have not said it better.  i probably will have to still this quote and reuse it!

[My_dog_is_hungry]

I used to get so mad that I found out because I never had any symptoms, so I was like "why can't I be in blissful ignorance 😢". Then 15 years in I get an OB. I've been married for 12 years, hubby could have thought I messed around if I come to him 12 years in and say I just found out. So I'm now glad I found out earlier. Blissful ignorance can eat my shorts.

[Tk2019]

Well the person who gave it to me is out living his best life because his IgG came back negative (mine also came back negative but the sores that developed a few days after being with him did not) while I spiraled into a deep depression for several months. At first I felt like it must be nice to be on the other end of it but we are better off knowing. And so far I've disclosed to two people and they didn't care.

[Ohsoscared]

On 5/6/2019 at 9:04 PM, Tk2019 said:

Yes most people have HSV-1 but it typically favors the mouth and causes cold sores. And then for some people it never causes anything. My index for hsv-1 was so high I've probably had it for years although I've never had a cold sore in my life.

Most people who have either strain of the virus don't even know they have it and that's why there is so much misinformation about it. So we aren't alone, we just don't get to live in blissful ignorance of it.

What would you consider very high? Does the levels go up over time? 

[Tk2019]

On 5/12/2019 at 12:02 PM, Ohsoscared said:

What would you consider very high? Does the levels go up over time? 

Yes. As your body builds antibodies the numbers go up. I'm not sure how high they go but my HSV-1 results just said >5. Anything over 1.1 is considered positive.