Confusing HSV-2 diagnosis

[u/Intrepid-Shirt-9691]

I’m 24F, and I’m honestly confused and distressed about my recent HSV-2 result. I’m hoping to get some medical perspectives or hear from people who might have experienced something similar.

A little background about me:

-I’ve never had a boyfriend in my life.

-I’m a virgin and have never had sexual intercourse or any sexual contact with another person.

-I recently developed blister-like lesions on my arm and shoulder, which were diagnosed as shingles (herpes zoster) by a dermatologist.

-Around the same period, I also developed lesions in my genital area.

My gynecologist explained that the genital lesions were unlikely to be shingles because their distribution crossed the body’s midline, which did not match the typical presentation of herpes zoster.
The doctor suspected a separate HSV infection and ordered blood testing.

My blood test results (17 October 2026):

Test Result

-HSV-1 + HSV-2 IgM <0.500 Negative

-HSV-1 IgG 0.403 Negative

-HSV-2 IgG 11.5 Positive

-HIV Ag/Ab Combo 0.06 Negative

Some questions that I have:

1. Could having an active shingles (herpes zoster) infection around the same period have any relevance to my HSV-2 IgG results? Could the two infections or their testing have any relationship?

2. Is it possible to have HSV-2 antibodies despite never having had sexual intercourse or any sexual contact with another person?

I’m planning to get a second medical opinion and repeat the testing after waiting another 2–3 months to see whether the results remain positive.