My fiance was diagnosed with HSV-2 in February of this year, through a
culture taken from what she believes was her first outbreak. Since
February, she has had two additional outbreaks. Before we became sexually active
together, well over a year before her diagnosis, I was blood and urine tested
for all STDs, including HSV-1 and 2, and tests were negative. After her
diagnosis, I was blood and urine tested again for everything, including HSV-1
and 2, and again the tests were negative.
Two weeks ago, I had an outbreak of some sort in the genital area. The
first doctor I visited, the day I noticed the outbreak, said it looked like
either herpes or molloscum. He treated the outbreak with liquid nitrogen, but
wanted to rule out HSV with a blood test. The test again, through blood and
urine, came back negative. The second doctor I saw, one week later, when the
sores were painful and not diminishing nor spreading, said it looked like
herpes.
The second doctor indicated that if I could have been a carrier of the
herpes virus without ever having had an outbreak. She also said that without
having had an outbreak before my blood would have no antibodies by which a blood
test would reveal the HSV. In other words, the doctor was suggesting that
someone could have HSV but that a blood test would offer a false negative if I'd
never had an outbreak. (She indicated that cultures were a more reliable tool in
diagnosing HSV, but that there was no culture to be taken from me at the time of
that visit. She recommended a blood test again in a couple of months, suggesting
that, if this was a herpes outbreak, my body would generate
sufficiently-readable antibodies within that timeframe. Is that correct?)
I'm wondering if that's true/possible and if it's possible I received so
many false readings from blood tests (four in the past three years). I'm
wondering, more importantly, if it's possible that I gave my fiance herpes
despite having clear blood tests and no previous outbreaks.
I would greatly appreciate any and all information you might provide on
this sensitive subject.
Thank you very much,
- Manage
- Resources
Q: 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.
Hey, first of all I wanted to say I totally understand your frustration and anger. Believe me when the doctor came into the room and told me, I threw a fit in her office and was telling her she screwed up. Second of all, you CANNOT find the herpes virus in the urine, only in blood if he has had an outbreak, because once you have a outbreak your body will develop anti-bodies and it will show up in your blood. But if he has never had an outbreak then it might be hard to get a positive result because the virus is lying dormant in his spinal cord. I know this sounds complicated, believe me it took me a while to understand this. Also, try to work things out with your bf, I know its hard because you are both hurt and surprised by all this. But honestly if its been 6 years, then I am sure you two are serious. AND you both need each others support at this time. I was mad at my bf but then I realized that I needed him to help me through all this and now we are happy! Its hard at first but you will get used to it. It is also not as bad as you think. I havent had an outbreak for over 2 years. Just stay healthy and keep your immune system strong so it wont come back. Hope this helps
I just wanted to say that your blood test can come out positive even if you haven't had an outbreak. You don't have to have had an outbreak to have produced antibodies, infact that might be why you didn't have an outbreak. Also wanted to comment with how tricky herpes is to diagnose it's not wonder it is spreading like wildfire. 50% of generation y will have genital herpes by age 50..yaya exciting times we live in!!
im confused and upset i just went for a physical and got tested for all stds
I have been in a committed longterm relationship and havent worried much but i figured what the hell would just be nice to hear that i have nothing
Well to my shock my genital herpes test came back positive.
I keep thinking this cant be right ive never had an outbreak. So how is this possible?
Should I start taking valtrex so make myself less likely to have and outbreak. Will I even have an outbreak and can i give this to someone else if i havent had an outbreak before? And if i was able to transmit it to someone else if i took valtrex would it make it much less likely
Man Im just so upest
The same thing happened to me! When I first got it I got an Igm test that showed it was a recent infection and the only person I have only been involved with one person for the last few months. He has a totally asymptomatic case and refuses to believe that he has it, many places insist there is no such thing as a hsv blood test which is absurd and explains why this is spread with such prevalance because most people that have it are asymptomatic but can still spread it. It is the same with me; peace of mind, knowing where it came from I have gotten so much mixed information and my primary outbreak has been in peak open sore ulcer stage for a MONTH now for weeks I was bed ridden, catheterized, and on many many pain meds which is all taking its toll, and its still nto going away even though I am on 1g of valtrex every 6-8 hours in addition to L-lysine. The guy I got it from started out supportive but he now refuses to call planned parenthood and get the test results (the tests I PAID FOR) and he has pulled farther and farther away also accusing me of me wanting him to have it. He has apparently started seeing a new girl and I haven't heard from him. It is just so frustrating that his tests probably came back negative anyway and there is so much mixed information and the accuracy of these results vary from person to person I feel I will never be able to know with all certainty where this came from. I really think it was him and thats what my tests indicate but I had to leave my job and miss school and have been in an excruciating amount of pain for almost six weeks now, I missed my period as well but my pregnancy test came up negative so its probably just from stress. Im sorry that you are dealing with this and I hope you get some accuracy soon. It has to be from him if hes the only person you had sex with, thats for sure, but tI know its frustrating that he will never have medical proof so he can own up to it. I guess thats something we just have to let go of and just worry about taking care of ourselves, its hard though I know.
Im 19 and was recently diagnosed with genital herpes nearly 2 weeks ago. Reading all your stories defiantly has helped me realise that im most defiantly not the only one. And that we're all in the same boat. He was the only guy I had slept with, And his sexual past was with one other girl who claimed to had be a virgin as well. So its still confusing as to how I have recieved it. But i had the same problem, I had to be in hospital from excruciating pain. Was in a wheelchair cause I just couldnt walk. And had to numb myself just to go to the tiolet. It wasnt exactly good. Im glad now that i know what I have due to the fact I can control outbreaks and hopefully wont have to go through it again. But I still hate that I have to live with this. I know so many people that just sleep around not knowing all the risks out there. Even if you are using protection your still not fully covered as me and my partner have used protection every time. I cried for days wondering why this has happened to me, Probably the only safest 19 year old out there these days and yet it happens to me. Just wanted to share my story and let everyone know to please, Please be safe. These are life changing diseases that you cant get rid of. You forever have to live with it, And its possibly the hardest thing to live with just knowing what you have.
I'm an pissed off female and here is my story, i was recently received a postive on an hsv2 tested that was performed in dec 2010. I know for a fact that this is something recently cause I had blood work perfomed in aug when i learned that i was having a miscarry and the hsv2 test was negative. let me provide some info i been with my son father for 6 years together we have a three yr old, in the past we had face some cheating on his behalf but all my blood work came back negative, recently in aug 2010 we sep and i went to my doc for a check for a birthcontrol re up and i still was sleeping with my son father through out our break up time so around five months and i was NOT in contact with another man sexually. well my doctor called me back two weeks ago and stated there was a postive in my blood work and i was pissed off. when i went to the consultation he stated i have hsv2 and then asked if i had any outbreaks i never received any outbreaks and also had my doctor explain to me in detail what is a outbreak. my doctor stated it was a pain that will not go away and i would have noticed him of this pain. NEVER HAD A OUTBREAK. i talk to my son father and he said he don't have it, but behold i found out that during the months of aug-dec he was seeing another woman so it came from somebody this shit just don't fall out of the sky. i called the other woman and explain to her the situtation and she had no clue that me and my son father was still sexually active i told her that i can present my paper work with all my blood tests up til now that was negative she stated that she will go get tested, ask my son father but he refused to be tested he insist that it's not him im a whoe but i have facts and paper work to back my facts up and is willing to present at any giving time and im expecting the same from that dirty bitch which i belive gave it to my son father and he gave it to me. so yes it is possible to have the virus with out having any outbreaks and yes blood work must be done. my question is how long does it take for hsv2 to show up in the body he stated that he had blood work performed in oct but i know for fact you have to request for a full std panel because they donot test everything, im still waiting for him to present the blood work that was taken in october to make sure he was tested for hsv2. but as of right now he refused to go to my doctor and get another one perform can SOMEBODY HELP PLEASEEE.
Why are you going around callin some girl a dirty whore cuz she has that? well now you are dirty..would you like someone calling you that? guys go around lying about crap all the time...and they are too "manly" to get tested or "hate" going to the doctors. Guys need to be more responsible with their health because it effects us. i slept with a guy who said he did not have a girlfriend but 2 weeks later come to find out he lives with his girlfriend and their daughter...i had been clean until i met that jerk who at the last minute decided not to put on a condom on and put it in without me consenting.....girls need to stop blaming other girls "dirty whores" as you put it and make these men pay for what they have done no more forgiving these jerks and blaming the other girl for your problems. Most the time this "other" girl has been lied to also.
Hi>>>my story is as same as yours n the fact that these young man don't want 2 go get tested just help 2 show that they do not care about themselves or others. I sometimes hate my daughter dad from giving me this std that won't leave but God word has comforted me and helped me 2 forgive him and others like him who continue 2 spread this std. try 2 stay healthy and stress free and keep loving yourself no matter what. love always 2 all affected by this disease i hope they find a cure 4
From my experience, then all of the stories, then into the clinical information regarding this virus, I wholeheartely believe that more people than they are saying, do not show antibodies to this virus when it comes to the igg tests. I wish when you see the stories that it was disclosed whether the person now testing positive for hsv2 already has hsv1. I believe that those, especially that have hsv1 can have this virus without symptoms because their antibodies to 1 fight off 2 and keep things to a minimum. Let's face it, if In the blood tests, sometimes these antibodies can cross-react. Just go into some of the clinical papers written by doctors who study this. If the CDC passed on information leading to the above, can you imagine the panic in people? If you notice, they very vaguely state that "sometimes" these tests can produce false negatives. I think "sometimes" means more than they want to admit. Wait until they come out with new testing someday...let's just see how accurate the igg test really is. At one time the Igm was the test of choice!
I had a horrible outbreak within 5 days of being with a new partner.....fever, pain urinating, tons of blisters, etc., and that now "ex" partner has tested negative 3 times. He has chosen to believe his tests. Pretty ironic that I had an outbreak within 5 days. I do not show antibodies to hsv1 - go figure. He complained of his legs hurting the night I think I contracted it - another coincidence? He was newly divorced and admitted to 1-night stands, anal sex, etc. My sexual history is nothing like that.
Always man bashing i am a man been with 3 females and i am 33 years old i got my HPV from a female I went and had my blood test 5 days after because after having sex with this girl i had burning i thought it was something else but to be responsible i went to get a full std check came back positive since then which was 15 months ago I have been on pain meds because of severe back pain i mean severe i had to go to physical thearpy for 9 months. thats not the worst thing that has happenend because of this shit. I told her she told me that she would go get checked out but she never did and all she does is say sorry. I remember i told her the first time she said so. Its not always men. If people are sexually active they need to get full screening every 6 months. Now I am laying here and can barely move spinal cord feels like i have 2 hands rapped around them and trying to pull it out of my skin but atleast i can walk because 4 nine months i couldnt.
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hi...
i can relate to you cause i lost my viginity to my current boyfriend of 6 years too...
i got diagnosed last week with genital herpes, my boyfriend got himself urine tested today, and it came out negative... i can't believe it, cause i never had sexual contact with someone else. he never showed symptoms in all these years, and now i got it!!! i really want him to get a blood test or a culture sample.... i feel so miserable, after being so careful, for me there's no other way that i could get it than from him... the doctor didn't even took a blood test which is crazy for me, stupid guy..... i have to talk to my boyfriend that he's gonna take other tests cause i also need to get my piece of mind! we are actually fighting now, cause he thinks i want him to have it! of course, i just wanna be a 100% sure, right? it is really so unfair. and i still can't accept the fact of having std! it's not just like having a headache, it's something you'll have to live with for the rest of your life... so please everyone, be careful and stay safe...