Interpretation of HSV 1/2 IgG Serology Results

Understanding Your Results

A strongly positive HSV-1 IgG result (>58.00) indicates past infection with HSV-1, according to the Clinical Infectious Diseases guidelines 1, 2
A negative HSV-2 IgG result (<0.90) indicates no evidence of HSV-2 infection, as stated by the Clinical Infectious Diseases guidelines 1, 2

HSV-1 can cause genital herpes through oral-genital contact, as noted by the Clinical Infectious Diseases guidelines 3
Most HSV-1 infections are acquired during childhood through non-sexual contact, according to the Clinical Infectious Diseases guidelines 4
A high index value (>58.00) indicates established infection and strong antibody response, as stated by the Clinical Infectious Diseases guidelines 2
Up to 70% of adults worldwide have HSV-1 antibodies, as reported by the Annals of Internal Medicine guidelines 5

If you have no symptoms, no specific treatment is needed for HSV-1 seropositivity, as stated by the Annals of Internal Medicine guidelines 5
If you have oral herpes symptoms (cold sores), episodic or suppressive antiviral therapy may be considered, according to the Clinical Infectious Diseases guidelines 6
The negative HSV-2 result suggests lower risk for transmitting genital herpes to partners, as noted by the Clinical Infectious Diseases guidelines 4
If concerned about recent exposure to HSV-2, retesting should not occur until at least 12 weeks after exposure, as recommended by the Clinical Infectious Diseases guidelines 2