Herpes

My STI blood test was positive for HSV1. I have never had symptoms. Do I definitely have genital herpes?

I had a PAP and STI screening done at Planned Parenthood. I had never had the STI screening done before. My PAP came back normal and all other STI tests were negative. However, my doctor told me the blood test was positive for HSV1. I have never had symptoms of Herpes (genital or oral, except cold sores in childhood). I believe the positive test was a blood test, not a skin culture. My doctor told me I probably got HSV1 through oral sex, implying that I have genital herpes. I have done some research and I am wondering if I definitely have genital herpes or if it's possible that I have only oral herpes. If I have genital herpes, how is that determined if I have no symptoms?

Public Comments

1. If you test positive for hsv-1, in the vast majority of cases that just means you have oral herpes, since 80% of the population have oral herpes, normally caught during childhood, and by adulthood experience no symptoms. If you have a history of cold sores on your mouth, and no history of genital sores, you definitely have oral herpes not genital, since cold sores ARE herpes and you are highly unlikley to have them in more than one location on your body. Cold sores are generally caused (in at least 95% of cases) by hsv-1, so if you test positive for this with a history of cold sores, you just have oral herpes. If you have hsv-1 though, it doesn't matter whether your infeciton is oral or genital, it is still the same virus and presents with the same symptoms - only the locaiton is different. As it happens, genital hsv-1 is less infecitous than oral hsv-1. You should still be aware that if your infection is oral and you give someone oral sex, you can give them genital herpes, even if you never have any symptoms at all. Oral herpes is infectious about 18% of the time - symptoms or no.
2. If they did not detect HSV Type 2 in your blood that probably means you are safe since that is the one that causes genital herpes. However, be aware that you can spread Type one to your genitals thru oral sex and then it would be termed genital herpes. In 90% of cases, however once again, genital herpes in caused by type 2, not type one. If you have not had any sores down there, than you probably don't have it. Take Care