HSV2 Swab Positive, multiple IgG months later negative...WTF?!?!

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I apologize in advance for this being so long but unfortunately it's necessary to be detailed in my case. I'm very sexually active and routinely get the full 10 panel STD blood work done even if completely asymptomatic. I had a test in February 2020 (I was asymptomatic) and everything came back negative except HSV1 which has always been the case since I was a teenager. I should also state that the only manifestation I've ever experienced of HSV1 is the common cold sore on the upper lip of my mouth, which in adulthood happens once every 5-8 years.. In October 2020 a few days after a risky encounter, I developed what looked like a small painful cut on the base of my penis. After a few more days instead of getting better, it became significantly larger and continued to hurt. I immediately got bloodwork and again, as before, everything but HSV1 came back negative. A few more days went by and the situation wasn't improving so I went to my doctor and after visually diagnosing the sore as HSV2 he also did a swab test. He explained that if this was the first time I was infected, my body did not have time to produce the antibodies needed so it was a false negative. He gave me Valtrex and said that it wouldn't hurt me to take it if the culture came back negative. The swab culture came back as positive for HSV2, and as I researched that test I found where they specify that they were purposefully not testing for HSV1 and so there can be no mistaking that I actually had HSV2. I was already taking Valtrex and the sore disappeared before I was even finished with the Valtrex cycle.

Now for my actual question. I wasn't completely satisfied with my diagnosis (probably denial) and wanted to be double sure. So I waited 8 weeks and got blood work done again. HSV2 came back negative. I thought to myself maybe its still too soon, so after another 8 weeks (16 weeks total from exposure) I did another blood test, and again it came back negative. At this point I am baffled, and came here to see if anyone has had a similar experience. (I have not had a second outbreak since the first symptoms arose). Is it possible to have HSV2 and have no detectable antibodies in my blood stream? I am not immuno compromised in any way. Please Help if you have any experience similar to mine I would love to hear from you.

Thanks for taking the time to read this painfully long post.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    How many days after your exposure did you develop the sore on penis?

    • Posted

      not 100% sure exactly but it was definitely less than a week. why?

    • Posted

      what was the appearance at first? it will be better if you can share some pics white blisters or what?

  • Posted

    What I would say to you is what is the time elapsed from those first symptoms to today? If that is now some considerable time, the swab could have been a false positive, or it was actually HSV1 detected.

    Get another HSV II IgG test in 6 months

    • Posted

      time elapsed from initial outbreak is 16 weeks (approx 4mos). From everything I've read it should not take longer than that for antibodies to develop and become detectable. But who knows, and I do plan on getting another test, 6mos from now sounds reasonable.

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