- This topic has 37 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 4 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I’ve been asking him for a year…and he finally did it. He said he did it on a “whim” the other day. He goggled it on his new Iphone and went to a lab here in our new home of Charleston. He got the results 2 days ago. He was really nervous, couldn’t sleep (apparently) and told me yesterday that he has Herpes 1 and is somewhere on the lower end of the scale for Herpes 2. He sent me the results but I haven’t looked at it. It kind of made me sick to think about it.
I did a bit of research and apparently it’s not that uncommon….but still. He says that he’s never had an outbreak. I guess I’ll send it to my doctor in CA and see what they say about it. I just can’t deal with it…..makes me sick.
Anyone know much about herpes?
Deb
What I know about it Deb is just about EVERYONE in North America tests positive for it, usually due to exposure to cold sores. I was told that in Singapore when we were tested . I don’t know if cold sores are less prevalent among Asians or not.
I remember laying there up in stirrups thinking “What an invasion when you have never been with anyone else. How demeaning to have to do this because your husband didn’t even bother to put a fucking condom on while he cheated on you. In what universe would ANY of this be considered love????” Sickening indeed. Karen xxThanks Karen – yes, Herpes 1 is prevalent, but Herpes 2 is the genital type. I need to send it to my doctor and see what they have to say.
When I went to my ob/gyn of 25 years for an STD test last year, I nearly died. Like you, it really hit me hard.
Deb
Deb,
You can have herpes 1 or 2 in either location if you know what I mean? My H dated a girl for 6 months that had herpes 1 on her genitals. I have heard you can get either type in either location BUT if the right type is in the right location it is more likely to be more aggressive. I don’t know if that is true….the lady ( I use this term very loosely) he dated had pretty bad outbreaks even with herpes 1. Anyway, you should see your Dr and they can advise you. Some of the girls here probably know alot more than I do.
Karen xxI’m so sorry Deb, you just can’t seem to ever find a stable place even for a little while.
The most reliable source of information on herpes is the CDC. Here is the link to the site for herpes:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/STDFact-herpes-detailed.htm
Karen, I don’t know where you got that information, but not everyone tests positive. I don’t, Larry doesn’t and neither do 80% of the pregnant women in the US who are tested.
About 20% of the adult population has genital herpes.
I don’t know what ‘on the lower end of the scale’ means. It’s a virus, you either have it or you don’t.
What I am wondering is why he ‘suddenly’ decided to get tested.
Again, I am so sorry, but please Deb, don’t bury your head on this one. It’s time for some straight answers from your husband backed up by a polygraph. Your life depends on it. ~ JoAnn
“lower end of the scale”- sounds to me like he has genital herpes and is minimizing. Someone can have regular outbreaks and not notice (especially if they are using their pee-pee alot- they might think it’s just wear and tear). Usually the primary outbreak is the most severe and hard not to notice (often with systemic flu-like symptoms), but who knows what can happen in an SA’s brain, especially with all the denial going on.
I am a little suspicious of the timing as well, but I am glad that he got it. Now use the information to protect yourself.
I have test results and no herpes for either of us. I would be very skeptical of the decision to test all of a sudden. It sounds so similar to the shit my H used to pull. Just doing what he wanted, when he wanted, no discussion….I can`t and won`t take that crap any more. Sorry Deb, it just sent warning bells off in my head….
This shit just doesn’t end for you Deb 🙁 The sisters are correct as usual, he didn’t just decide on a ‘whim’. I’d bet the farm he’s having outbreaks. I believe in most cases herpes is diagnosed from a visual examination of the sores or taking a sample from the sore and testing that to determine if herpes is present. Which I imagine is how they diagnosed YOUR husband. And as for being on ‘the lower end’ of herpes? I think that’s like being ‘a little bit pregnant’. I’ve read that herpes is more easily transmitted from a male partner to a female partner than vice versa. And that it can also be transmitted when the infected partner is asymptomatic. I’m actually surprised your husband even bothered to tell you about this. Use this information wisely, Deb. Love, Liza
Deb, yes, use that information wisely. This was prompted by something, he’s not just jumping up and taking it. That is just weird and you need to see a Dr now for yourself.
Im just so sorry about this news, Deb. And I pray you will have the wisdom and strength you need for this one. We all hope you have the new beginning that this move could have meant. I’m sad you are being called back into the nightmare of consequences.
D.xoUnless I’m naive (and I could be) – he got the test because my therapist insisted that I put my foot down before we left CA a month ago…..so I did. We were busy with the move and things just calmed down so he did it. I’m not suspicious of the timing – but I will forward it to my doctor and ask about the values (according to him, it’s on a scale).
And yes – he just took a blood test. From what I’ve read, many folks have Herpes 2 and don’t even know it. My only question/concern is who gave it to him? Was it before or after we met? I guess I’ll never know.
He didn’t use his insurance card which pissed me off….he paid $250 cash which I want him to get back from our insurance.
Deb
careful on the insurance bit…all that data is stored by our lovely Gov officials and it can come back to bite you in the butt on life insurance policies and being turned down later by health care carriers. Not saying it would happen, just that it can happen. DA and I paid cash.
Deb, have you still not looked at the results? You should. Here’s the scale from my H’s test results:
Negative is < 0.91; Equivocal is 0.91 - 1.09;
Positive is >1.09. It goes on to state that an equivocal result means that an early infection may be present and a retest may be appropriate at a later date. As far as the insurance goes, if it is through his employment he may not have used the insurance to make sure the fact that he was tested for STDs remained confidential. My H did the same thing and so did I when I was tested. I did not want my insurance co. and/or my H’s employer to know it was necessary for me (and him) to be tested. What I would do, if I were you, is get that $250 for yourself!I will be VERY curious to find out what you find out Deb. Many here think they know the score? Lets see if they do?
Karen xxOk, am just getting back to this now. JoAnn, I wasn’t clear enough in my post to Deb but my info is sound. What I was trying to say is about 80% of adults in North America test positive for antibodies to Herpes 1(cold sore) and they have usually come in contact with the virus in childhood. It is correct that about 20% of adults test positive for antibodies to Herpes 2(genital). I believe the scale Deb is referring to refers to the amount of antibodies in the blood as people can have varying amounts. I am not technical enough to make a link. 😉 Therefore, I had to copy and paste the comments below from herpes.com and also health central. There are innumerable other sites with the same stats.The information is congruent with what I was given in Singapore at the time of testing.From what I was told Asians do not have the same amount of positive test results for Herpes 1 as we do.They seem to have a lower incidence of Herpes 1.
HERPES.COM
“On a practical level, this means oral HSV-1 is often the most easily acquired herpes infection. Usually the first herpes simplex virus that people encounter, oral HSV-1, is typically spread simply by the kind of social kiss that a relative gives a child. Because children have no prior infection with any HSV type, they have no immune defense against the virus.”“By the time they’re teenagers or young adults, about 50% of Americans have HSV-1 antibodies in their blood. By the time they are over age 50, some 80-90% of Americans have HSV-1 antibodies.”
HEALTH CENTRAL
“Approximately 70% of adults have been infected by HSV-1 and have antibodies against the virus. About 20% of adults will have antibodies against the HSV-2 virus.”As other people have commented Deb, you have either come in contact with the virus or you haven’t? My interpretation is your H has been exposed to genital herpes at some point or he could not have formed antibodies to it. It is a complicated and misunderstood condition and further complicated by the fact that once infected either type can be transmitted to other areas. I don’t think you will ever know if he contracted it before or after you.Though I am reluctant to cut him slack, the truth is he could have contracted it from any sexual encounter and may have been totally unaware he had it. I hope this clarifies what I was trying to say. I had to go back and look at my results to refresh my own memory about this. God knows at the time of testing I was only absorbing bits and pieces of things. Sorry you have to think about this stuff on top of everything else but am sure your Dr can explain his test results to you. Karen xx
About 15 yrs ago, I worked for a Pharma Co. and the main drug we promoted was a pain medication. We also had what they called at the time a ‘just say the name and leave the coupon’ drug and it was for herpes (genital). Even though it wasn’t our main drug to sell we still had to go through training and learn about not only the drug but also genital herpes. Now, this was 15 yrs ago so I don’t remember everything but a few things about it I do remember pretty well. At that time, 1 in 7 people had genital herpes, now today, it’s 1 in 5. As you likely know some people will have ‘breakouts’ of their herpes. There are people with genital herpes who don’t ‘breakout’. Also what was the most interesting thing I learned is if some does have herpes they can transmit the virus at anytime, breakout or not. Many think they only spread it during a breakout when it’s actually spread at anytime, breakout or not. It’s for this reason, that many more people have genital herpes and don’t even know it and it’s likely the incidence rate is much greater than 1 in 5. My GYN, who only does womans health (no obstetrics) says in reality, it’s more like 1 in 2 or 3.
Just thought I’d pass this along (no pun intended).
~NapHey, NAP. Interesting info. Do you know the mechanism of latent transmission? If the active lytic stage can be relatively asymptomatic, how is latent transmission proven? It’s hard to imagine a way that the virus can be shed when it is hiding in the neural ganglia, and when it reaches the skin, it’s considered active.
Thanks Karen and NAP. Here are the statistics from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control):
What is genital herpes?
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2).
How common is genital herpes?
Genital herpes infection is common in the United States. Nationwide, 16.2% of persons aged 14 to 49 years have HSV-2 infection. [1] The overall prevalence of genital herpes is likely higher than 16.2%, because an increasing number of genital herpes infections are caused by HSV-1. Increases in genital HSV-1 infections have been found in patient populations worldwide. [2]HSV-2 infection is more common among women than among men (20.9% versus 11.5% in 14 to 49 year olds). Infection is more easily transmitted from men to women than from women to men. HSV-2 infection is more common among non-Hispanic blacks (39.2%) than among non-Hispanic whites (12.3%) or Mexican Americans (10.1%). This disparity remains even among persons with similar numbers of lifetime sexual partners. For example, among persons with 2–4 lifetime sexual partners, HSV-2 is still more prevalent among non-Hispanic blacks (34.3%) than among non-Hispanic whites (9.1%) or Mexican Americans (13%). Most infected persons are unaware of their infection. In the United States, an estimated 81.1% of 14–49 year olds infected with HSV-2 have never received a clinical diagnosis. [1]
The percentage of persons in the United States who are infected with HSV-2 decreased from 21.0% in 1988–1994 to 17.0% in 1999–2004. However, HSV-2 prevalence has changed very little since 2004. [3]
How do people get genital herpes?
Infections are transmitted through contact with lesions, mucosal surfaces, genital secretions, or oral secretions. HSV-1 and HSV-2 can also be shed from skin that looks normal. In persons with asymptomatic HSV-2 infections, genital HSV shedding occurs on 10% of days, and on most of those days the person has no signs or symptoms. [4] Generally, a person can only get HSV-2 infection during sexual contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. Transmission most commonly occurs from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know that he or she is infected. [5]
Sources:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seroprevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Among Persons Aged 14–49 Years —United States, 2005–2008. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2006. 59(15): 456–459.
2. Wald A, Genital HSV-1 infections, Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2006. 82(3): 189–190.
3. Xu F, Sternberg MR, Kottiri BJ, et al., Trends in Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and Type 2 Seroprevalence in the United States. JAMA, 2006. 296(8): 964–973.
4. Tronstein E, Johnston C, Huang M, et al., Genital shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus among symptomatic and asymptomatic persons with HSV-2 infection. JAMA, 2011. 305(14): 1441–1449.
5. Mertz GJ, Asymptomatic shedding of herpes simplex virus 1 and 2: implications for prevention of transmission. J Infect Dis,2008. 198(8): 1098–1100.
6. Schillinger JA, McKinney CM, Garg R, et al.,Seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 and characteristics associated with undiagnosed infection: New York City, 2004. Sex Transm Dis, 2008. 35(6): 599–606.
7. Kimberlin DW, Rouse DJ, Clinical Practice. Genital Herpes. N Engl J Med, 2004. 350(19): 1970–1977.
8. Corey L, Wald A, Genital Herpes. In: Holmes KK, Sparling PF, Stamm WE, et al. (editors). Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2008: 399–438.
9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2010. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2010. 59(RR-12): 21–22.Teri,
They may have taught us that but I don’t remember. So many people test positive for herpes 1 or 2 my Gyn doesnt even routinely test for it anymore, unless the person specifically asks for it or she deems it necessary.OK – just looked at the results. The range of negative is 0 to .90 and he is 1.35 – so yes, he is positive for Herpes 2 (and Herpes 1, too).
Here’s what the “Fact Sheet” from the doctor said about Herpes 2:
How common is herpes?
Genital herpes is extremely common. One in five women and one in nine men (ages 14 – 49) have genital herpes in this country. With almost 50 million Americans infected, it’s not unusual for people to discover a previously unsuspected infection with routine STD testing.How are you doing with that, Deb? Even with everything you’ve been through, it can still be tough to get new info. Sending you a virtual hug right now.
- The forum ‘Health’ is closed to new topics and replies.