How Do I Know I Have Hsv Type 1? Red Pimple on Face Posted: 10-29-07 10:27am
Dear Doctor,
I have went for blood test to check for
HSV1 and below were the results.
SEROLOGY
TEST RESULT
REFERENCES
RANGE
HSV Ab IgG 0.87
<1.0
HSV Ab IgM 0.29
<1.0
From the results above do you think I have
HSV1, I have sometimes a red pimple on my
face that last for three-1 week. I went to
a doctor and showed my blood results to
him then he said I don't have HSV1, but
when I had that pimple he came back to me
and told me you have HSV1, I don't know
which one to believe, the blood results or
the doctor, my fiance is scared to kiss me
or let me do oral sex to him because he is
scared to get infected. if me and him we
have HSV1 will we spread the diseases on
our genitals?
Serology tests are not accurate to confirm
if some skin lesion is due to
HSV-infection or not. They can only tell
us if you have ever been or not infected
with HSV. Even if the test is positive you
can't be sure if some skin lesion is due
to HSV-infection. When there is some skin
or mucosal lesion there are much more
accurate tests that can confirm or exclude
presence of HSV: culture of the virus,
direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) studies
to detect virus, and polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) to test for presence of
viral DNA. Unfortunately these tests are
expensive and slow and therefore not very
practical.
Can you afford some of these tests?
