Herpes... can it be detected when not in an outbreak? How early?!
Question: Herpes!.!.!. can it be detected when not in an outbreak!? How early!?
I have an Ex who's recently come back in my life, but since she last dated me she's had two partners!. One of which is a nice enough guy, but I've known him since High School and the guys has probably had more unprotected sex then Magic Johnson!.
One of the things we've clarified is that if we get back together, before she so much as kisses me she WILL get a full STD test workup!. She's adamant that since she's been single for 3-4 months now that would pick up anything!.
However I thought that 3-4 months in, it was possible to have Herpes (and possibly HIV/AIDS) and NOT have them show up on tests!.
In fact I had even once heard that Herpes "hides" when it's dormant and can't be detected!.
What's the truth on this!?
I do like her, she's a nice enough girl, and she'll always be special to me!.!.!.
But exactly how long do I have to wait to be reasonably safe being intimate with her using lab STD tests as my check against her giving me anything!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
One of the things we've clarified is that if we get back together, before she so much as kisses me she WILL get a full STD test workup!. She's adamant that since she's been single for 3-4 months now that would pick up anything!.
However I thought that 3-4 months in, it was possible to have Herpes (and possibly HIV/AIDS) and NOT have them show up on tests!.
In fact I had even once heard that Herpes "hides" when it's dormant and can't be detected!.
What's the truth on this!?
I do like her, she's a nice enough girl, and she'll always be special to me!.!.!.
But exactly how long do I have to wait to be reasonably safe being intimate with her using lab STD tests as my check against her giving me anything!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Although rare, HIV can not show up in the blood work for up to 6 months, but usually shows within 3!.
Herpes and other STD's usually caused antibodies in the blood to show up within 3 months, but definitively by 6!.
Just wait a little while longer and be sure to use protection!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Herpes and other STD's usually caused antibodies in the blood to show up within 3 months, but definitively by 6!.
Just wait a little while longer and be sure to use protection!Www@Answer-Health@Com
The SYMPTOMS of herpes can "hide" for years, and many people with herpes don't know that they have it!.
But a blood test will show antibodies for the virus, and certainly three or four months is enough time for a blood test to detect them!.
The big problem with a blood test is that it will tell you if you have herpes, but it won't tell you WHERE you have it!. Most adults (50% to 80%) have oral herpes, so you can just assume that one or both of you will turn up positive for that!. And most (but not all) people with oral herpes have HSV1!. So most folks just assume that if your blood tests positive for HSV1 you have oral herpes, and if you test positive for HSV2 you have genital herpes!. But a lot of cases of genital herpes are caused by HSV1 and some oral herpes are caused by HSV2!. So blood tests for herpes can be tricky to interpret!.
The good news!? As long as she never has sex with you when she has any sores or itching, her chance of infecting you with genital herpes (if she has it) is about 2% per year!. And while its a bummer, its not life threatening; it doesn't lead to cancer or other diseases, and it doesn't cause infertility!. It's really just an annoyance!.
Life involves some risk!. You can ensure you'll never catch anything by never having sex with anyone!. And you can do your best to minimize your risk by talking to your partner about STDs, and by getting some tests!. But you can't eliminate all risk ever!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
But a blood test will show antibodies for the virus, and certainly three or four months is enough time for a blood test to detect them!.
The big problem with a blood test is that it will tell you if you have herpes, but it won't tell you WHERE you have it!. Most adults (50% to 80%) have oral herpes, so you can just assume that one or both of you will turn up positive for that!. And most (but not all) people with oral herpes have HSV1!. So most folks just assume that if your blood tests positive for HSV1 you have oral herpes, and if you test positive for HSV2 you have genital herpes!. But a lot of cases of genital herpes are caused by HSV1 and some oral herpes are caused by HSV2!. So blood tests for herpes can be tricky to interpret!.
The good news!? As long as she never has sex with you when she has any sores or itching, her chance of infecting you with genital herpes (if she has it) is about 2% per year!. And while its a bummer, its not life threatening; it doesn't lead to cancer or other diseases, and it doesn't cause infertility!. It's really just an annoyance!.
Life involves some risk!. You can ensure you'll never catch anything by never having sex with anyone!. And you can do your best to minimize your risk by talking to your partner about STDs, and by getting some tests!. But you can't eliminate all risk ever!.Www@Answer-Health@Com