Genital herpes

My HSV-2 result came back low positive

Blood test, positive for HSV-2, and there is a number next to it that is only just above the cutoff. No symptoms ever. The nurse said it was positive and moved on.

ninth_street 2 months ago

NoteMember experience, not medical advice. Symptoms overlap between infections and only a test can tell them apart.

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salt_marsh 2 months ago

That number matters more than the word next to it. Results just over the threshold on the common antibody test have a substantial false positive rate, and this is a known and documented weakness rather than a rare fluke.

Guidance in several places is that low positive results should be confirmed with a different kind of test before anyone accepts the diagnosis.

northwindow 2 months ago

Ask specifically for the index value in writing and ask what confirmatory testing is available to you. Availability varies a lot by country and by lab, and it is not always offered unless you raise it.

first_frost 2 months ago

The honest complication is that confirmatory testing does not always resolve it either, and some people end up with an indeterminate answer. Frustrating, but still better than accepting a diagnosis from a borderline number.

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