Can you have asymptomatic HSV 2?

Can you have asymptomatic HSV 2?

Infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is a common sexually transmitted disease. It is mostly asymptomatic, and currently no cure exists. The prevalence by age differs between populations and geographical areas.

Can you have HSV with no symptoms?

While most people associate herpes with cold sores on the lips and mouth or herpes lesions on the genitals, the reality is that most people infected with the herpes simplex virus won’t get any symptoms. This means that not only is it possible to have herpes without symptoms, but it’s actually very common.

How common are false positive hsv2?

HSV-2 isn’t included in the standard panel of tests for sexually transmitted infections. The widely available tests for herpes are famously inaccurate and can give false positives up to 50%. In some cases they can fail to detect the virus at all.

What do you do if you test positive for HSV-2?

If you tested positive for HSV, talk to your health care provider. While there is no cure for herpes, it hardly ever causes serious health problems. Some people may only have one outbreak of sores their whole lives, while others break out more often.

What can cause hsv2 false positive?

A person who only has HSV-1 may receive a false positive for HSV-2. IgM tests sometimes cross-react with other viruses in the same family, such as varicella zoster virus (VZV) which causes chickenpox or cytomegalovirus (CMV) which causes mono, meaning that positive results may be misleading.

How long can you have HSV-2 without symptoms?

In some cases, a person with herpes may not experience any symptoms of the virus for many years. In other cases, the first symptoms can appear around 2–10 days after a person contracts the virus. The first outbreak of herpes can last for around 2–4 weeks .

Can you get a false positive for HSV-2?

False positive results can occur with many diagnostic tests, including STD tests. The chances of false positive results increase as the likelihood of the infection decreases in the person being tested. False positive HSV-2 results can happen, especially in people who are at low risk for a herpes infection.

author

Back to Top