I was wondering if I could get some feedback regarding a diagnosis I got regarding herpes. I had a really bad yeast infection to the point where it started eating away at my vaginal area. I went to a walk-in doctor and they took and swab and took an STI blood test. A week after, I called the clinic to see if they had my results and I spoke to the nurse and she told me that my swab came back positive for yeast. I asked if that was it and she said yes. A few weeks later the clinic calls me to come in and I told them I already knew the results of my swab test and they said it was regarding my blood work. The doctor told me at the beginning my swab came back positive for yeast. He then proceeded to explain the blood work. After my blood work he said you are positive for herpes. The swab detected some traces of herpes. I am now left very confused because if the swab did test positive for herpes, would he have not have said it at the beginning along with the yeast diagnosis and not with the results of the blood test? Also, wouldn’t the nurse when I initially called have told me that there was more to my swab test?

Home / Answered Questions / I was wondering if I could get some feedback regarding a diagnosis I got regarding herpes. I had a really bad yeast infection to the point where it started eating away at my vaginal area. I went to a walk-in doctor and they took and swab and took an STI blood test. A week after, I called the clinic to see if they had my results and I spoke to the nurse and she told me that my swab came back positive for yeast. I asked if that was it and she said yes. A few weeks later the clinic calls me to come in and I told them I already knew the results of my swab test and they said it was regarding my blood work. The doctor told me at the beginning my swab came back positive for yeast. He then proceeded to explain the blood work. After my blood work he said you are positive for herpes. The swab detected some traces of herpes. I am now left very confused because if the swab did test positive for herpes, would he have not have said it at the beginning along with the yeast diagnosis and not with the results of the blood test? Also, wouldn’t the nurse when I initially called have told me that there was more to my swab test?

I was wondering if I could get some feedback regarding a diagnosis I got regarding herpes. I had a really bad yeast infection to the point where it started eating away at my vaginal area. I went to a walk-in doctor and they took and swab and took an STI blood test. A week after, I called the clinic to see if they had my results and I spoke to the nurse and she told me that my swab came back positive for yeast. I asked if that was it and she said yes. A few weeks later the clinic calls me to come in and I told them I already knew the results of my swab test and they said it was regarding my blood work. The doctor told me at the beginning my swab came back positive for yeast. He then proceeded to explain the blood work. After my blood work he said you are positive for herpes. The swab detected some traces of herpes. I am now left very confused because if the swab did test positive for herpes, would he have not have said it at the beginning along with the yeast diagnosis and not with the results of the blood test? Also, wouldn’t the nurse when I initially called have told me that there was more to my swab test?

Hi, thanks for writing in with your concerns. I think it would be a good idea to go back to the doctor and talk about what testing was done again so you can be clear how the testing was done and what the results re the herpes diagnosis is. If it was a herpes swab, then it will detect herpes and also what type it is and it will confirm the area of the body the herpes is located. This is all very useful information for you for the future eg HSV type one has fewer outbreaks than HSV type 2. There is a different swab used to detect herpes and another swab used to detect yeast. Often the herpes swab testing will take longer for results so it is quite possible the positive yeast result came in first. But of course I dont know if this is why this seemed to have happened in your situation. If instead the herpes diagnosis is based on blood work being taken, then the initial blood test does not tell the type of herpes or where on your body the herpes is. The majority of people have been exposed to herpes and will have a positive blood test which is why it is not a routine STI test. The blood test does not say where the herpes is. Please consider discussing this with your doctor to clarify the testing and the results.

This answer was posted on October 13, 2018.

This answer was updated on February 7, 2022.

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