is it possible to get a false positive on a herpes test?
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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.
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A positive test result for HSV-1 or HSV-2 indicates that you've contracted either virus at some point. The results also allow your doctor to differentiate between HSV-1 and HSV-2, which isn't always possible by visually examining the sores.
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if your symptoms are due to herpes. It may take between six and eight weeks to detect antibodies in a herpes blood test after first becoming infected with HSV. Also, antibodies may disappear with time, especially if the person has infrequent recurrences of herpes.
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However, in rare instances, you can get a false positive from: a recent pregnancy (e.g. after miscarriage, recent birth or termination) some rare ovarian cysts. certain medications containing the hCG hormone, like some fertility treatments.
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However, it's possible for your results to come back negative even if you've contracted the infection within the past few months. This is referred to as a false negative. Your body will typically take several weeks to develop IgG antibodies to HSV.
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If your test result is positive, it can mean that you have an active herpes infection without symptoms. It can also mean that you had an HSV infection in the past. The antibody blood test is not as reliable as culturing a sample from a herpes sore.
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A false-positive result indicates a pregnancy even though there isn't one. Rarely, the test may detect abnormal, non-pregnancy tissue, which requires follow-up by a doctor. These results are rare because usually only pregnant women produce the hCG hormone.
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Per CDC guidelines, specimens with equivocal or low positive results for HSV-2 type specific IgG will reflex for supplemental testing by another assay. In a patient with no history of lesion disease, a positive result for this test may be indicative that the primary infection was asymptomatic.
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One reason for a false positive is the presence of another disease that produces antibodies similar to the ones produced during a syphilis infection. A few of the conditions that can cause a false positive include the following: HIV. Lyme disease.
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If the results from a second test are positive, a person is considered to be HIV-positive. It's also possible to receive a false-negative result. This means the result is negative when in reality the virus is present. This generally happens if a person recently contracted HIV and gets tested during the window period.
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It's rare, but it does happen. A false-positive pregnancy test can be devastating—especially for women who have difficulty conceiving or who are actively trying to get pregnant. ... Thankfully, false-positive pregnancy tests are rare, but they can happen.
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This is why a positive pregnancy test result will mean you are almost certainly pregnant. However, in rare instances, you can get a false positive from: a recent pregnancy (e.g. after miscarriage, recent birth or termination) some rare ovarian cysts.
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What can cause a false positive? Getting a true false positive – one where you were never pregnant in the first place – is incredibly rare. Pregnancy tests detect the hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) hormone in your body, which is only present when you're pregnant.
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A false-negative result can sometimes occur, most often because testing was performed within the window period. You may also have a false-positive result, usually because the herpes IgM test cannot distinguish between HSV-1 or HSV-2. It can be difficult to decipher IgG and IgM results when performed together.
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Although rare, it's possible to get a positive result from a home pregnancy test when you're not actually pregnant. This is known as a false-positive.
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False positive results are quite a rare event, but in a community where very few people have HIV, true positive results are even rarer. In a setting where HIV is more common, a reactive result is less likely to be a false positive. For example, take a test with 99.5% sensitivity and 99.5% specificity.
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The presence of antibodies against herpes simplex means an individual is currently infected with the virus. A positive antibody test does not indicate merely that one has been “exposed” to HSV. Nor does it mean you are immune to the virus, without active infection.