if you've had negative blood tests and no outbreaks, is it possible to have HSV-2?

My bottom line when it comes to herpes testing is to request an IgG and IgM test as the tests of choice.  You can conceivably have a negative IgM if you did not have a "recent exposure" but the IgG would be positive at any point during the herpes process.  There are rare false negatives on these tests - there may be far more false negatives when using some of the other tests available.

So the kind of test you take would be a key to knowing whether you had HSV2 and gave it to your fiancee - what typically happens is you don't go for testing till you have a rash outbreak - which explains why so many people are carriers, infecting others unknowingly - because without a rash, they typically don't get tested; once the rash happens they test positive - but they may have been harboring the virus for some time.

At this point, since you are both commited to each other - I know you are bothered by the fact that you may have given your fiancee the virus - it is also possible if she had relations before she met you that she was harboring the virus without an outbreak and gave it to you.  Remember stress and other factors sometimes contribute to finally having an outbreak.

I'd simply see a doctor as a couple to have the full ramifications of the virus explained.  I'd also make sure to be clear about herpes and getting pregnant/delivering a healthy baby (see my blog on this).

Hey wordsandstuff,

I learned that I have genital herpes about a year in a half ago. So far I haven't had any break after my first one. I just wanted to share my experience with you and hopefully it will answer some of your questions/ or clear up the doubts. So I have been with my boyfriend for over 2 1/2 years now. I lost my virginity to him, but he has had other sexual partners before me. I got him tested before I had sex with him and this was when I was 18. His results were all negative so we went along with our relationship. About a year later I found some blisters in the vaginal area and I thought it was only a rash, but a couple days later my boyfriend calls me saying that he has had blisters in his genital area for the last couple of days. We both had a huge feeling something wasn't right so I started to cry and freaked out. I thought it was so unfair because all these years I was holding back from having sex because I was trying to avoid STD's and the one guy I lose it to happens to give it to me. Ironic isn't it? The crazy part about all this that once we started our outbreak, we both saw a physician at planned parenthood ASAP and got tested again. I got the culture test and my boyfriend got the blood test again since there wasn't enough sample left for them to collect from him. His blood test came out NEGATIVE again (even though he just was healing from an outbreak) and my culture came positive. So now  he thought I either cheated on him or I lied about being a virgin. I couldn't believe, nothing made sense to me anymore, I thought it was all a joke. So finally we talked to my REAL doctor and she helped clear everything out. A blood test is useless unless your body has developed antibodies and the only why to get those is to experience an outbreak first. But a culture sample is very accurate since it is the actual sample. So yes, your story does make sense. You can have sex with someone for years and still get herpes from them. I was having sex with  my boyfriend for a year before either one of us got our first outbreak. And the only reason why we both got an outbreak at the same time is because he started his outbreak like 5 days before I did and we had sex without knowing that the blister was herpes so I got it like 2 days after and that is also why he couldn't get the culture test because he was almost done with his outbreak by the time we confronted each other. Also, I wanted to add another thing, condoms don't do anything, I mean they help but not all the time like most people think because it doesn't cover everything. My boyfriend always wore a condom but he still got it and also oral sex can lead to herpes too!!  SO to all you people out there be safe!! Be careful! Sex is not fun and games, you can really hurt someone, please be more responsible. Take it from me, it only takes one person! Someone shouldn't have to pay for someone else's irresponsibility.