I really don't know the next step

Hey Guys,

I was hoping for a little advice, I currently don't know what the next step is. I'll keep my story as brief as possible to not take up anybodys time.

A year ago I had a small pencil eraser sized spot below the belt. I started to freak out and got tested by one of those independent std Checks you can get online for like $200. The rash spread out more as I became more anxious. but about a week later the results came back negative across the board (I tested for a couple of std's.)

I was relieved but still nervous.

So Over this past year I visited my doctor 3 times, he just thought it was jock itch, he perscribed 3 different creams but nothing really worked, I visited the urologist twice and he shrugged his shoulders and said "I don't know it's probably nothing." It was at this point I finally realized It was time for a second opinion so I changed doctors.

My new doctor sent me to a new urologist where I was ademant about getting tested again even though he too claimed "it was probably nothing" This time My blood test came back positive. After a little bit of silence I asked "How the f*ck am I ever going to get a girlfriend?" he said "you will, don't worry we'll be in touch" patted me on the back and walked out.

It took me about a week to get the urologist back on the phone, finally got a retest and this one too came back positive. It was at this point I'd kind of accepted my fate and started looking into whats the next step.

I Now had to go back to primary care, and this is where the story gets confusing. I had a whole list of questions written up and ready to go and he is either the most uniformed doctor of all time or I'm super terrible at researching herpes. This is essentially our conversation

Me: Where can I get more information on this?

doctor: Webmd...

Me: How am I ever going to get a girlfriend ever again?

doctor: What's the big deal? if you wear a condom and aren't showing signs, you can't pass it on.

Me: I've read differently

Doctor: I honestly don't think you have it, you really can't test for it unless you have an open sore and we take a culture.

Me: We'll I've never had an open sore, all it's ever been is just a light rash.

Doctor: Well why don't I perscibe you a weeks worth of valacyclovir and if nothing happens to your rash then that proves you don't have Herpes. Blood tests are iffy. You tested negative in your IGM but Positive in your IGG it could be a false positive both times.

So I took a weeks worth of Valacyclover and absolutley nothing changed. So what is the next step? is my doctor right? do I not have herpes? or is my doctor not trustworthy because he claimed you "can't transfer herpes without open sores" I just really don't know the next step. If anyone really has any insight I would be soo grateful

I have no advice as I am also new to this. I am looking forward to responses from everyone here though. I’ve never had any open sores or rashes, just a positive test from my last annual that was done.

Do you know what kind of test you had? I’d ask for a copy of your lab results if you don’t. Some doctors still use older tests that aren’t accurate. If you do have it, it’s helpful to know which type you have.

Many doctors are not well educated about HSV transmission. You absolutely can transmit herpes without any sores or symptoms whatsoever. Chances are he’s not lying to you...he probably just doesn’t know the facts.

p.s. to @lostandconfused....it’s very common to have no symptoms, or symptoms so mild it’s mistaken for something else. I acquired HSV about 20 years before being diagnosed and had absolutely no idea all those years. In hindsight, I can now see a lot of itching and irritation I blamed on yeast infections were really a herpes outbreak.

Hello AF429, I am a laboratory medicine physician and may be able to help you. I have joined this forum to hone my skills in answering questions concerning STD transmission and dispel common myths. Before we begin, i need to know the brand of test, the values given ,and your symptoms (duration, a brief description, color, and changes). Thanks!

@HikingGirl that’s the problem, I’ve never had any abnormal anything. I don’t get yeast infections. Maybe 2 my whole life and I remember them both very well. I’ve never had a rash down below. Nothing! However, once my OBGYN called and told me the news, I started researching like crazy (how I found this group). Now I have symptoms all the time that won’t go away, but still no outbreak with open lesions or anything like that. I’m just completely lost on it all.

Lostandconfused99 and HikingGirl how have you been diagnosed. By swab or blood test.

Mine was done by blood test.

@Jack101 I tested positive for HSV1 and HSV2 by an IgG blood test (I forget the brand) and followed up with the western blot which confirmed the original test results. I just happened to use a clinic that actually does include HSV in their STD panel. The symptoms I had previously attributed to yeast infections “magically” disappeared when I started acyclovir. :)

What is this Western Blot test I keep seeing everyone talking about? And also, am I able to get my test results from my doctor. Do I just call and ask for them?

The western blot is a more sensitive and accurate test for HSV, often used when IgG tests are unclear. My index value for HSV2 was only 3.27, which is why I chose to confirm with the western blot.

Yes, just call your doctor’s office and say you’d like a hard copy or email of your lab results. Very easy!!

Thank you! I’m going to call my doctors office Monday.

I concur with HikingGirl; only in your particular case the sensitivity of the test is not the issue. We are performing the Western Blot do to its increased specificity (though it is more sensitive as well).

Another way to understand in the context of medical tests is that sensitivity is the extent to which true positives are not missed/overlooked (so false negatives are few) and specificity is the extent to which positives really represent the condition of interest and not some other condition being mistaken for it (so false positives are few).