Posted , 5 users are following.
I know the swab is the most accurate .. but how accurate are herpes blood tests ? .. I made my boyfriend get tested when we first met and he was "non-reactive" for hsv1 and hsv2 ... but now 2 years later I magically have genital hsv1 .. I've never cheated and my blood test was negative so I'm assuming he cheated on me unless the blood tests are just inaccurate ....☹
0 likes, 7 replies
We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.
katie42587 kelly_28179
Posted
Since I was diagnosed a few years ago I've done a lot of research into herpes.
It is generally thought that unless a herpes outbreak is active testing for it either by swabs or blood tests is very unreliable.
So with your partner for example, say he has HSV-1 but has never had any outbreaks or symptoms, his body wouldnt have produced antibodies to the virus as he hadn't ever had an outbreak for his body to defend against. The blood test will test for presence of antibodies rather than the virus itself...no antibodies means negative test.
When I was first diagnosed my husband was with me and asked should he get tested, they said there really isnt much point unless he shows symptoms as testing without an outbreak is so unreliable
christine_44474 katie42587
Posted
im confused my boyfriend has hsv1 and had an outbreak 3-4 years ago but still tested positive for it and he went down on me im confused with the whole only show symptoms will show a positive so the people who had it since they were young kids and still test positive but no symptoms ?
christine_44474
Posted
ive heard that swab is useless with out an outbreak thats why they have blood test
katie42587 christine_44474
Posted
Sorry what I meant is that swab will only be an effective test if active sores are present.
And blood tests can be very unreliable especially if the virus is laying dormant and hasn't ever caused an outbreak yet as antibodies may not be present in the blood since you haven't yet had to fight an outbreak of the active virus.
The rate of false positive and negative results is quite high with this virus which is why they will generally only test for it if you have symptoms and it isn't usually included in a general sexual health screen
sbbu15 kelly_28179
Posted
Please dont accuse your boyfriend of cheating! Herpes can stay dormant for years in your body without having an outbreak! You could have got it way before him and just had your first outbreak. Herpes blood tests can have false positives and negatives from the research I've done. The best way to know forsure is to have a culture swab of an active outbreak. This is why most doctors dont test for herpes on a regular STD panel because it's hard to tell when testing the blood for the hsv antibodies. You most likely contracted hsv1 from oral sex and someone with a coldsore even if it wasnt present. Your boyfriend could have gotten oral herpes from even sharing a drink with someone and then given you it from oral sex. theres so many possibilities but you cant point your finger at him because its IMPOSSIBLE to know who you got it from if youve had multiple partners.
heres an excerpt from an article you might find helpful:
False positive test results are test results that say a person has a disease or condition when they do not actually have it. False positive results can occur with many diagnostic tests, including STD tests. The chances of false positive results increase as the likelihood of the infection decreases in the person being tested. False positive HSV-2 results can happen, especially in people who are at low risk for a herpes infection. Also, we do not know if people who test positive for herpes will change their sexual behavior as a result of a positive test. This tells us that the harm of a possible false positive test may be a greater concern than the benefits of an actual diagnosis. Unlike curable STDs, such as chlamydia, herpes infections are life-long, so it is especially important to avoid a false positive test.
https://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/screening.htm
christine_44474 sbbu15
Posted
im confused because my boyfriend has hsv1 cold sore and hadnt have an outbreak since 3-4 years and he went down on me and never had a outbreak down there i got tested blood test and negative for both and so many people have hsv1 its really low to contract it without symptoms because i know a couple people who has it and went down on their partner abd never contracted it there when you first get it yoy shed a lot thats why they said that it still can get it without an outbreak but my doctor told its rare and that just as long patient doesn't have an outbreak until completely so i dont reallt believe that " even without outbreaks " because half the world would have hsv1 genitals . he prob wasn havin an outbreak and didnt know and probably was so mild that he didnt even dnow and went down on her
christine_44474
Posted
a lot of people get symptoms but so mild or mot but they push it away and think of it as something els until they have an outbreak again they get so confused and think tis there first outbreak but meanwhile its not and always say i never had symptoms but they did but wel thats what my doctor told me atleast. blood test i accurate until certain months for your to build up antibodies.