Question:
hey. I wish i were writing this on a happier note but here goes. my girlfriend just today tested positive for HSV, although type 1 or 2 was not specified in the test. ever since she was around 4 or 5 years old she's been getting cold sores on her lip about once every 4 months or so...all of the research i have done thus far indicates that she has hsv-1...especially considering she gets these cold sores and has never once shown any symptoms of hsv-2. it seems she has hsv-1 along with 100 million others in this country, but there's one thing that's making both my girlfriend and I very nervous. her doctor told her over the phone that the test was a "very strong" positive. my girlfriend thinks thats an indication that it's hsv-2 and she's going to undergo further tests this upcoming week. if she's been getting cold sores in the same spot since early childhood and shes never had any other symptoms, i have 2 questions.
1. Should it have been expected for her to test positive for herpes?
2. Based on the information I've given and your own personal experience, does the "strong positive" mean she most likely has hsv-2? thanks all

Answer:
HSV1 and HSV2 can BOTH be either oral or genital....it's not HSV1 is oral and HSV 2 is genital. Either can occur in both places. It is more common however in regards to oral infections being HSV1, but isnt always the case. However, since she has had them since she was little I would think it is most likely HSV1 which is commonly transferred to children from an adult who had it and innocently kissed them when they were small. Also, the "strong" positive only means that there are a lot of antibodies present for whichever type she has, which would be consistent with the fact that she has had this virus in her body since she was a child, and therefore her antibody response level will be high. Since she has this though and didnt realize that coldsores are herpes.......YES, you should definitely have expected her to test positive for the virus, since that is what has been causing the cold sores all these years. Now, you should definitely go get tested via a type specific blood test yourself because it is very likely she could have transmitted the virus to you via kissing or by performing oral sex on you (with or without cold sore symptoms present) and it is good to know if you have it as well now because often it is transferred and does not cause visible symptoms in the newly infected partner. The way it could possibly be transmitted to you could be either orally to you from kissing you, or you could contract it genitally via oral sex from her (in which case you would have genital type 1 or genital type 2 depending on the type you find out she has) Try and have her get a type specific blood test as well so you know the type.....just for your own knowledge.

And now that you understand that coldsores are herpes.....take more precautions....if you have not been already. Remember, it is possible to transmit the virus to you, even if you have not got it by now because although it may not transmit to another person for years, it could very well happen by just one time when that person is contagious and does not realize it. Its possible to transmit a percentage of the time without any symptoms being present, as well as before, during, and immediately after an outbreak. Unless she has any other reason to think she also has it genitally, then I would only worry about transmitting it from her orally. Hope that helps clarify a little.

Answer:
Thank you BoxofRain, you managed to clarify what puzzled me better than any of these websites have.

Answer:
One more question out of curiosity : how does the test differentiate between hsv1 and hsv2? I've read in several places that 1 and 2 are virtually identical and the only difference between them is what part of the body they tend to inhabit. That being said, are the antibodies for hsv2 different than those of hsv1 or is the test conducted a different way?

Answer:
YES, antibodies are different for each type. True though that they share almost identical genetic makeup but the antibodies produced for each type are notably different. Also, there is no truth to TYPE 1 or TYPE 2 being differentiated simply by which part of the body they inhabit. That is largely false and was the first belief over 30+ years ago, when herpes had not yet been studied the way it has been now. Type 1 does not mean oral always and type 2 does not always mean genital as I said before. Both types affect either region and all a blood test does is tell you which type you have.....you have to be able to identify the region you get symptoms (such as cold sores, etc.) it is also sad because a lot of uneducated doctors even TODAY will still tell you type 1 is oral and type 2 is genital which is sad and is partly what keeps this virus spreading like wildfire.....misinformation and outdated information. ....be sure to find someone who is current on the topic and knows what the heck they are talking about. :)

Answer:
The last thing I must ask in regards to this matter involves the way she may have contracted HSV. Although she's been getting these cold sores since early child hood (which indicates shes had HSV for several years now), her family is insisting that she just recently contracted the virus sexually...from me. Is it possible that cold sores she's been getting (in the exact same spot on her lip) for years and years were caused by something other than HSV? If she's been getting the sores for so long but they were not herpes related, chances are she contracted it sexually from me. What I want to know is whether or not the sores on her lip are DEFINATELY the result of hsv (which would exonnerate me in the eyes of her family). I guess I'm trying to prove that she's had hsv since long before she met me and I am not the cause of her positive test...I'd be heartbroken if I unknowingly gave her an std.