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I do not understand my results.
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An_245684 posted:
I do not understand my test results for HSV. I do not know what it all means, and the nurse practitioner who gave me my results told me that I had built up an immunity to the disease.

I am scared for other reasons as it is and do not know what I am looking at;

hsv 1 IgG index : 5.68 Antibody Detected
hsv 2 IgG index <0.90 Antibody not detected.

PLEASE tell me what this means.....
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georgiagail responded:
HSV screening tests (just like screening tests for HIV) do not check for the actual presence of the virus but rather for antibodies the immune system begins to produce after transmission has taken place.

Because other antibodies can mimic those seen in HSV there are "cutoff" levels for screening results; if one falls below this level antibodies to this particular strain have not been detected and the person is assumed not to be infected. If antibodies go above a certain level, the assumption is that one has been exposed to this virus.

In your case, the strain HSV1 has been passed on to you sometime during your lifetime. This is the virus that tends to cause oral lesions (in an outbreak). It's a very common virus; most adults carry this, having been exposed to this in childhood.

On the other hand, you are considered to be HSV2 negative. This is the strain that upsets most folks, resulting in an outbreak on the genitals.

I hope this makes sense.

Gail


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