false positives:Terri Warren, Westover Heights, and western blot

I've been doing some research on false positives and this name comes up I went to the Westover Heights website and they really push for people to get a western blot test who have low IGG scores. My score was 1.19 for hsv-2. Has anyone heard of Terri Warren and Westover Heights? Should I get the Western blot to confirm the HSV 2+ on the IGG score since it was so low?

I would. That is a low number. Terri Warren is a respected nurse practitioner who recently retired and has a lot of expertise about herpes. My IgG value was 3.27 and I confirmed I was positive for HSV2 with the western blot through the Westover Heights Clinic. For me, it was worth the couple hundred bucks to know for sure.

Thank you. I just read that the sooner you do the test after you potentially contracted, the lower your IgG score is, the longer you wait the higher your score. I had my test done only two weeks after sex. I'm going to be retested in six weeks anyway for HIV so I'll see if the 1.19 goes up.

Camilo it wouldn't hurt to do a WB! But your body produced antibodies quickly after exposure!

That's a good thing if you are in fact positive!

This link is interesting, it says that the score on your IGG is no indication of how recently you were infected or how long you have been infected: http://www.thehelpernewsletter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55:testing-winter-2009&catid=176:herpes-testing&Itemid=237

And according to Terri Warren anything below a 3.5 score has a high probability for being inaccurate.

Seems like there is so much equivocation about IgG scores on the internet.

Sweetsoulx what was your score? And how soon after exposure did you have the test taken? My doctor said there was very little probability my score was inaccurate. But according to Terri Warren, interpreting scores under 3.5 as being positive is a misconception.

I'm not really sure how long I've had it, I haven't ever had a classic outbreak...but my igg was >5. Definitely have the antibodies. But most ppl don't show positive for antibodies that quickly.

This. From the CDC website: "Based on evidence on potential harms from a small number of trials, the HIGH FALSE POSITIVE RATE OF THE SCREENING TESTS (( they recommend being retested with the Western blot if you fall within 1.0 or 3.5 fo IgG)) and the potential anxiety and disruption of personal relationships related to diagnosis, the USPSTF found that the evidence is adequate to bound the potential harms of screening in asymptomatic adolescents and adults, including those who are pregnant, as at least moderate.

I would trust Warren any day of the week over the average doc. The IgG values do not indicate how recent the infection is. When my ex-husband tested negative, it meant that I picked up herpes 18-25 years earlier and I still had a low number.

If you decide to go forward with the western blot, it might be worth asking if there's value to holding off for a few months if you're certain your only exposure was just a few weeks ago.

I've done a lot of reading tonight and yes, Warren recommends waiting 16 weeks before doing the Western blot. What was your number, was it low enough for you to suspect that the IgG diagnosis might be wrong? That is pretty amazing that your ex-husband is negative what do you attribute that to?

It was 3.27. The closer to 3.5, the less chance of a false positive, but I was hopeful anyway. LOL Who knows why my ex didn't get it after 16 years together. Luck!!