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What Does A Positive Herpes IgG Blood Test Mean?
Question: Hello. I got my Quest result from Quest Lab for all the STD this week, I came out positive HSV 1 IGG type specific Ab of 1.22 H, negative on the HSV 2 IGG. My question is could this be a false positive since is low. I never had a outbreak before, after unprotected sex in Sep 2016 since then I have not have sex, the day after sex back in Sept. I got my pennies very irritated, red and small bumps, but no blister with no liquid in blister. So I applied anti fungal cream for 11 days and it way it was clear it and I was happy , but in January I got 2 new red spots (bumps) he day after I masturbated , so that is why decided to go to Quest and got this result. So if I have herpes type 1 then why did the anti fungal cream worked? it look a lot like banalitis to me. I have almost no symptom now because I have applied a lemon oil bases ointment and prior anti fungal. So Can I have a false positive of herpes type one?, can the fungus trigger the IGG and simulate a positive herpes type 1.? My partner has no symptoms at all but she will get tested. Do I need get a swap test even though I do not any blister at all just to see if it I do have Herpes type 1.?
The anti fungal and other ointments seem to work , so why is the anti fungal working well if I have herpes, it should work right?
So what do I have a fungus (banalitis) or Herpes simple type 1 ?even though is a low result.
I never had blister with liquid, of fluids coming out of blister, I only had red irritated areas and small bumps.
I know that herpes symptoms will not react to anti fungus, so in my case it reacted in a very positive way.
So what do you recommend me to do, I need to know what do I have Fungus or Herpes simple type 1.
Thanks
The anti fungal and other ointments seem to work , so why is the anti fungal working well if I have herpes, it should work right?
So what do I have a fungus (banalitis) or Herpes simple type 1 ?even though is a low result.
I never had blister with liquid, of fluids coming out of blister, I only had red irritated areas and small bumps.
I know that herpes symptoms will not react to anti fungus, so in my case it reacted in a very positive way.
So what do you recommend me to do, I need to know what do I have Fungus or Herpes simple type 1.
Thanks
Brief Answer:
it is extremely unlikely that the test was a false positive
Detailed Answer:
thank you so much for your question, I'll do my best to help you.
Since the test was positive for HSV 1 IgG, it is almost certain that at some point you were exposed to HSV 1. However, the lesion that you had on your penis may have been fungus or herpes or even something else. There are many possibilities.
It could be that it was herpes, and since the normal nature of herpes is to resolve after a week or two, it could be that the fungal cream didn't help or hurt at all. The herpes just happened to get better, because that's what herpes does, and it would've gotten. Better even if you hadn't used the cream.
It could also be that the lesions really was fungal which would explain why the cream helped. The HSV IgG may have been positive due to a different infection that you had some other time in your life that you may not know about. It is not uncommon common for someone to have a mild outbreak and not realizing that it is herpes.
The lesions on your penis also could have been some other type of infecting entirely, and they just got better because most lesions will heal eventually and they may not have been herpes or fungal.
However, regardless of all of the three possible explanations, please note that the possibility exists that you could transmit the virus to your girlfriend. So use condoms until she gets tested. If she tests positive, then you won't have to worry about transmission anymore, since you both already have it.
I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any more questions.
it is extremely unlikely that the test was a false positive
Detailed Answer:
thank you so much for your question, I'll do my best to help you.
Since the test was positive for HSV 1 IgG, it is almost certain that at some point you were exposed to HSV 1. However, the lesion that you had on your penis may have been fungus or herpes or even something else. There are many possibilities.
It could be that it was herpes, and since the normal nature of herpes is to resolve after a week or two, it could be that the fungal cream didn't help or hurt at all. The herpes just happened to get better, because that's what herpes does, and it would've gotten. Better even if you hadn't used the cream.
It could also be that the lesions really was fungal which would explain why the cream helped. The HSV IgG may have been positive due to a different infection that you had some other time in your life that you may not know about. It is not uncommon common for someone to have a mild outbreak and not realizing that it is herpes.
The lesions on your penis also could have been some other type of infecting entirely, and they just got better because most lesions will heal eventually and they may not have been herpes or fungal.
However, regardless of all of the three possible explanations, please note that the possibility exists that you could transmit the virus to your girlfriend. So use condoms until she gets tested. If she tests positive, then you won't have to worry about transmission anymore, since you both already have it.
I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any more questions.
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Answered by
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