Can you get exposed to HSV2 but not contract the disease?

Question

A few years ago, I had my doctor screen me for STD's. When I called for the results, the Nurse in the office told me that I tested positive for herpes. When I asked which kind, she said both. Although I never had any genital herpes symptoms the entire time, I didn't date anyone for a couple of years to avoid having the dreaded conversation with my partner. One day I broke down in my doctors office and told her I didn't know how to bring up the subject with a potential boyfriend and she asked if I had ever been re-checked. She said it was possible to get exposed to the virus, but not actually contract it. She re-tested me and a couple weeks later I received a letter from her saying that I only had HSV1 and NOT HSV2. Is that even possible? I thought herpes was forever. I'm thinking she's covering up for her nurse. Thinking maybe the nurse read the diagnosis to me wrong originally, and I've been going crazy over an incorrect diagnosis for 2 years!

Answer 1

yeah sure you can.  Kind of like you can come up as being exposed to TB but not have it.

Answer 2

You are a carrier. If you tested positive for Herpes but have never had an outbreak it means you have the antibodies in your bloodstream which means your body was exposed to the virus. You may never have an outbreak or you could have one years down the line. If you are a carrier that means that it is possible for you to spread the virus to others. Your doctor should have informed you of this. This is actually quite common. Most people walking around with HSV don't know that they have because they have no signs or symptoms. You may have HSV1 but you could have it on your genitals. They can't determine where by the blood test, only which type. Both types are transferrable to either the mouth or genitals.

My doctor said that its currently speculated that 1 in 2 people have some form of HSV, whether oral or genital and that is why Herpes is so prevalent.  Most people just don't know they have it.

Answer 3

before I finished reading everything, I kinda figure it was only HSV1 and not HSV2...I have never heard of someone whos been diagnosed with both but its possible. Sigh nurses or doctors often make mistake so dont' worry about it.

Answer 4

Well.... the only thing if i were you... go to another doctor and get re-tested.

You can actually have both diseases. I have HSV1 and my bf has HSV2. My doctor said that if i contract HSV2 then i will have both. But he will only ever have HSV2, he can not contract HSV1 off of me. because HSV2 gives him immunity.

Long and short of the story. Just go and get re-tested. The nurse should never have given you the test results. A doctor should always do that.

Why should you belive what the doctor says now?? If you have tested + for HSV1 or 2 you will always be positive for it.

Answer 5

It is possible to be infected with herpes, but never develop symptoms because your body suppresses the virus though. As it happens, 80% of people infected with herpes never develop symptoms. This is particularly likely if you were infected with hsv-1 (oral herpes) as a child and contract hsv-2 as an adult.

Even if you have it and have no symptoms, you can still infect someone else, as herpes can be passed on without symptoms.

You should get tested again, and not automatically assume this test is the correct one. Herpes blood tests are not 100% accurate, more like 90%, and can give false negatives just as often as false positives, so it is quite likely the original one was correct. They won't have read it wrongly.

Get tested again, and ask which test the lab are using. Some tests are much more accurate than others, and older style tests are pretty inaccurate. For more info on the tests available, please see:

http://www.ashastd.org/pdfs/blood_test.p...

Also have a look at:

http://www.herpesdiagnosis.com/blood.htm...

Answer 6

almost any thing is possible when it comes to herpes. but i was not so lucky. i got both HSV1 and HSV2 from my boy friend who had no idea that he had herpes and i didn't know any better what cold sores were (they are oral herpes). so i don't believe in the fact that one type gives u immunity to getting the other type.

yes u can come into contact with it and not get it. people with herpes are LESS contagious when they don't have out breaks and if they are taking suppressive or anti-viral medication. but if u believe the immunity theory then that is also possible.