My HSV IgG has not come positive even after ten weeks. Does it mean I do not have herpes infection?

Question

Hi doctor,

I had swelling on my foreskin and glans with a discharge under the foreskin with painful urination, and this started after three days of exposure. And the doctor gave me Fluconazole, Doxycycline, and antivirals. After a month, it got better, and I went for a lab test for HSV Ig and IgG, chlamydia, RPR, HIV. All these tests came back negative, but only my HSV IgM was positive with a 1.66 index. But then I asked my partner to get tested after 40 days of our intercourse. And she had positive chlamydia IgA with 1.71 indexes and IgG with 1.08 index, her HSV IgG was positive with 1.66 indexes, and all her other test RPR, HIV came back negative. I tested myself for HSV IgG again after 42 days from my first test, which is now ten weeks after infection, and it came back negative as my earlier test. So I want to know whether I had a bacterial infection or herpes? And is the HSV IgG test conclusive after ten weeks?

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

HSV IgG, once positive, can be positive for a longer time. It just shows past infection and is not of much concern.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

IgM denotes current infection, and IgG indicates past infection. IgM becomes negative as the infection resolves. However, IgG remains positive for a longer duration. Since your IgM was positive, it means you had herpes. Now IgG does not have much significance. You should not worry much about it. What has happened has happened. Sometimes herpes is recurrent, so you should look for that.