Can you have herpes and test negative for antibodies?

A negative (normal) test most often means you have not been infected with HSV-1 or HSV-2. If the infection occurred very recently (within a few weeks to 3 months), the test may be negative, but you may still be infected.

What does a negative herpes IgG test mean?

IgG is made after the IgM antibody and typically will be present in the bloodstream for the rest of your life. A negative test result is considered normal. This generally means that you’ve never contracted an HSV infection.

What can cause a false positive HSV-2 IgG test?

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.

Can you have a false negative HSV blood test?

However, there’s a small chance of getting an HSV-1 genital infection and the test cannot distinguish where the infection is located. False negatives are not common with this type of test, but there’s still a chance that a negative result for HSV-1 or HSV-2 may not be accurate depending on the timing of your exposure.

How often are herpes tests wrong?

Meanwhile, the CDC and the US Preventive Services Task Force concur that the most widely available herpes test, called HerpeSelect, should not be used to screen asymptomatic people because of its high risk of false positives: Up to 1 in 2 positive tests could be false, according to the USPSTF’s most recent guidelines.

Can you be misdiagnosed with herpes?

Unfortunately, a visual examination without correct testing can result in misdiagnosis, and even if the diagnosis is correct – the type of herpes simply can’t be confirmed through a visual exam alone.

How accurate is IgG herpes test?

The IgG test is about 94% accurate in detecting the infection. About 19% of the time, its results are false positive (that is, the test is positive for herpes infection when the person does not have herpes). By contrast, the herpes IgM antibodies tests give almost 50% false-negative results.

How common are false negative herpes tests?

You are considered herpes negative. There is about a 38% chance that you got a false-negative test result.

Can you get a false herpes test?

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.

Can a herpes test be wrong?

What does a positive herpes IgM test result mean?

A positive HSV-1 or HSV-2 IgM antibody test indicates an active or recent infection. A positive HSV-1 or HSV-2 IgG antibody test indicates a previous infection. A significant increase in HSV IgG antibodies, measured by comparing results from acute and convalescent samples, indicates an active or recent infection.

What is false positive result for herpes?

This article on Genital Herpes: The Basics gives more information about symptoms. A false positive occurs as a result of corruption of the sample, or some level of insensitivity with the testing procedure, or some other issue (maybe a temperature due to another virus) causing false readings.

What does a positive IgG antibody mean?

A positive result means that IgG was detected, while a negative result means than no IgG was detected. An equivocal test simply means that the results were unclear. A false-negative result can sometimes occur, most often because testing was performed within the window period.