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Need advise new diagnosis

Posted , 2 users are following.

sam11701
sam11701

Hello, 

I have hsv1. Two cold sores in the same place on my mouth my whole life and im in my 30s. When my husband and i first started dating i told him i get cold sores. He said he had had one on his lip. He had been tested but they never tested for hsv. Since he had been with one person after being tested and got his cold sore on his lip,  i asked him to go back to the doctor. They tested him for hsv and he came back with hsv2. The doctor said he has only had symptoms of cold sores on the mouth and tested negative for hsv1, so im short she believes thats the infection site. I went back and was tested again. I came back positive for hsv1 and negative for hsv2.  We are prepared to be safe so we both started taking valtrex as a suppression therapy, no more oral, and we will use condoms. However, we want to start trying to concieve so no condoms on highly fertile days. What are the chances his hsv2 is not just oral and is genital to? Its truly frustrating not to see a lot of data on hsv2 oral. Also it is annoying to see so much contradictory data. 

Can anyone please help? What is the best way to go about this? My doctor thinks its crazy to care so much about neither of us contracting the other strain. Ive read suppression. Therapy reduces transmission 50% condoms 50% and having a previous type can reduce contracting up to 40%. Also of course i dont want to catch genital hsv while pregnant.

Thanks 

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • FelizCastus
    FelizCastus sam11701

    Posted

    If a person has HSV2 orally, it is presumed they also have it genitally, as it is very rare to have it orally and not genitally as well. That's why a positive HSV2 IgG is taken to mean a genital infection. The same can't be assumed for HSV1, however, which is less fussy about where it infects. How was he tested, by the way? By IgG test? Do you know his index value?

    • sam11701
      sam11701 FelizCastus

      Posted

      Im not sure of the index value. It was an igg specific test. What wpuld the index value mean?
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus sam11701

      Posted

      If he tested negative for HSV1 IgG but positive for HSV2 IgG, then that should be a confirmed positive, so you can actually disregard the value.
    • sam11701
      sam11701 FelizCastus

      Posted

      The doctor actually said the rate is higher for oral than most places say. For hsv2. I mean i guess the medical world would do us some goid if they could determine wherr the virus truly is instead of a guessing game.
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus sam11701

      Posted

      They can, but you need an outbreak to swab and HSV2 rarely sheds or causes lesions. Also, some people remain asymptomatic. The incidence of oral HSV2 may be higher than thought, but it is still believed to be in association with having it genitally.
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus

      Posted

      From the CDC, and like I said:

      "Because nearly all HSV-2 infections are sexually acquired, the presence of type-specific HSV-2 antibody implies anogenital infection. In this instance, education and counseling appropriate for persons with genital HSV infections should be provided. The presence of HSV-1 antibody alone is more difficult to interpret."

    • sam11701
      sam11701 FelizCastus

      Posted

      i have read this but my doctor say in most cases yes but it doesnt mean all. The fact the only break out was on mt husbands lips she believes its oral. That why this is frustrating but thanks. We will just be careful. Also the std project has some good info
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus sam11701

      Posted

      I would assume that he has it in both locations. Both the CDC, Terri Warren and presumably her STD expert peers like Dr Handfield believe oral HSV2 alone is unusual and usually goes hand in hand with genital HSV2. Doesn't matter where you have symptoms. Many people don't get any symptoms at all, in any location! Anyway, there's not much more to go on.

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