Where Can I Get Tested For Herpes Free

Best For New Symptoms: Plushcare

PlushCare

Why We Chose It: If you think you may have herpes symptoms for the first time, blood tests are not accurate. Its best to see a doctorand PlushCare offers that from home because PlushCare is a telemedicine provider.

• Accepts insurance from several major companies

• A doctor may be able to diagnose you with herpes without testing, which is faster and less expensive than other options

• Meeting with a doctor allows you to ask questions and get educated about your sexual health concerns

• PlushCare is a telemedicine provider. It may be a good option for people who also need other online or at-home healthcare

• A doctor visit is required to access testing

• Youre not actually buying a herpes test. If your doctor doesnt think you need one, you may not be offered one

When you use PlushCare for STD testing, youre not purchasing an at-home herpes test. Instead, you are making a virtual appointment with a doctor to discuss your concerns about herpes and other STDs. Then, if the doctor thinks a test is warranted, he or she will write an order for a test and send you to fill it. Results are usually communicated to the doctor within 3-5 days, and then the doctor will follow up with you by telehealth and provide treatment or further testing as appropriate.

What Happens During A Herpes Test

If you have blisters or sores, your doctor or nurse will gently take a sample of fluid from the sores with a swab and test it.

If you dont have any sores, talk with your doctor or nurse about whether a blood test for herpes makes sense for you. But herpes tests aren’t normally recommended unless you do have symptoms.

The idea of getting tested may seem scary, but try to chill out. STD testing is a regular part of being a responsible adult and taking care of your health. And herpes tests are quick and usually painless.

How Do I Find A Good Std Test Kit

Its important to use a reputable STD test kit company. Here are some features to look for in a provider that can help you narrow down your options.

Certified labs:

The most reputable companies will go through a certified laboratory. Make sure the companys lab meets the standards of the CLIA .

Healthcare professionals on staff:

A good STD test-kit company will have a medical support team on staff to answer questions and provide next steps. Qualifications and availability will differ from one company to the next: some have physicians on staff, others nurses or physicians aides. A good company will offer a professional staff with medical credentials.

Resources on web page:

An in-depth FAQ is one good sign of a legitimate company. Another good sign is supplementary resources. A company with a strong library of articles and links to sexual health resources on its site is likely to be more invested and reliable.

Customer service:

Though STD test kits are relatively simple to use, there are plenty of questions that can come up during the process, and a good company will be available to answer them directly. Check the customer service policy to see how and when youll be able to contact someone. Live chats and 24/7 services are the best signs that support will be available.

Privacy policy:

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Sample Collection And Analysis

Your clinician will collect a small blood sample from you. This will normally be done with a lancet which will be used to prick your finger. They will add you blood to the testing cassette with two drops of buffer. There are three sections to Better2Knows Herpes testing cassette where lines may appear, one of these is a control line which confirms the test has run correctly.

If there are three lines showing on the test cassette, then you have tested positive for Herpes IgM and IgG antibodies. If there are only two lines you have tested positive for either IgM or IgG antibodies, depending on which line has appeared. If there is only one line, this being the control line, then your instant Herpes test is negative for infection.

Federally Funded Std Testing

According to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, the Department of Health and Human Services offers control grants for preventative health services for sexually transmitted diseases via the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention . This funding may be applied for by an eligible state or authorized subdivision including American Indian/Alaska Native tribal governments or tribal organizations located wholly or in part within their boundaries, academic institutions, and public health organizations. In 2016 and 2017, the allotted assistance to cooperative agreements is estimated to be approximately $98,904,456 for each year.

These grants for STD testing and preventative care are given to places like state health organizations and clinics, which in turn are able to offer free or low-cost STD testing services.

Sexually transmitted infections and diseases cost the government a lot of money every year. In fact, a 2013 report from the National Institutes of Health found that the diagnosis and treatment of chlamydia alone in 2008 in the United States cost more than $516,000,000, and that gonorrhea cost more than $162,000,000 in the same year.

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If Someone With Herpes Has No Sores Can It Still Be Passed On

If someone has herpes but no sores, can it still be passed on to another person? Spence*

Yes. Even when no sores are present, the herpes is still active in the body and can spread to others.

If you or your partner has herpes, reduce the risk of spread by:

• using a condom every time you have sex . The herpes virus can live outside of the area that a condom covers, though, so a condom may not always prevent the spread.
• avoiding sex during outbreaks
• making sure the infected person takes antiviral medicine every day as prescribed by the health care provider

The only way to completely prevent herpes and other STDs is to not have sex .

• *Names have been changed to protect user privacy.

Polymerase Chain Reaction Test

As with the viral culture, your doctor swabs or scrapes a sample from one of your sores. A lab gets the sample and looks for genes from the herpes virus. PCR test results usually come back to you within 24 hours.

Youre more likely to get this test if you have symptoms but its been longer than 48 hours since they showed up. In this case, you can rely on the results from this test more than the viral culture.

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Using Condoms To Protect Against Stis

The best way to protect yourself from getting or passing on an infection is to use a condom every time you have sex. The clinic can give you some condoms so you can practice safer sex.

Always buy condoms that have the CE mark or BSI kite mark on the packet. This means they’ve been tested to high safety standards.

Condoms that don’t have the CE mark or BSI kite mark won’t meet these standards, so don’t use them. Get tips on using condoms properly.

Bear in mind that having had an STI once doesn’t make you immune to it you can get the same infection again.

Reasons Not To Get A Herpes Test

Should you take a herpes test if you have no symptoms of this STI? Here’s what experts advise.

If you think you have genital herpes because you have a sore on or near your genitals, a doctor or nurse can test the sore and diagnose you. But how do you test for herpes if you have no symptoms and are simply worried you’ve been exposed to the virus? There is a blood test available, but experts disagree about whether it’s worth the trouble. Here are a few arguments for not bothering with the herpes test.

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When Should I Get Tested For Stds

If you think you might have an STD, its best to get tested. STDs dont go away if you ignore them theyll just get worse and could grow into more serious health consequences. If left untreated, some STDs can lead to issues like infertility and more serious infections. You can also spread STDs to sexual partners if you have an untreated infection.

Ask your health care provider for STD testing recommendations or follow CDC recommendations for STD testing.

I Std Testing In Raleigh Nc

There are new STD cases reported every year in North Carolina. Protecting your health means being proactive about your sexual health through regular STD testing.

North Carolina had the sixth-highest rate of reported chlamydia cases per capita and the eighth-highest rate of reported gonorrhea cases per capita in the nation in 2019. This puts the state well above average in terms of reported STD cases compared to the rest of the nation. So its important to get regular STD testing if you live in Raleigh.

You can get tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis, and hepatitis C, as well as conventional HIV at the Advance Community Health. Men and women can get walk-in STD testing at Gateway Womens Care in Durham or by appointment in Raleigh. The LGBT Center of Raleigh offers free STD testing on a walk-in basis every Monday evening from 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.

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Im Pregnant What Do I Need To Know

To get the best care, tell your doctor you have genital herpes, because it could make you more likely to have a miscarriage or give birth too soon.

Its possible to pass along the virus to your baby. For infants, it can be life-threatening. Your doctor can talk to you about how to lower the chances that this will happen.

If you have an outbreak while youre pregnant, your doctor can give you medicine to treat your symptoms and stop them sooner.

Your doctor may give you a drug to prevent an outbreak as your due date gets closer. This is because your baby could get herpes by passing through your birth canal if youre having an outbreak when you go into labor. If thats a possibility, your doctor will most likely want to do a C-section, which is surgery to deliver the baby.

Continued

Wake County Human Services

The Wake County Human Services Public Health Center provides HIV and STD education and outreach services to those who live in the Raleigh region. Services may be offered by appointment or on a walk-in basis. The centers services include condom distribution sites and free information sessions covering topics surrounding STDs such as symptoms, protection methods, treatment options, and community resources. The center also hosts confidential STD counseling and testing at various community locations.

10 Sunnybrook Road, Clinic A Raleigh, NC 27610, 250-3883

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The Health Risks Of Genital Herpes

Pain and discomfort are the main health effects of genital herpes, but the virus can also cause emotional and social problems for those infected. Although it cannot be cured, genital herpes can be managed with antiviral medication that may help control the recurrences. On rare occasions, genital herpes may cause serious complications such as blindness and inflammation of the brain.

Genital herpes can sometimes be passed from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy or birth. The infection can be life-threatening to the child or result in skin lesions or brain damage. Antiviral medication and a cesarean delivery can reduce the risk of infecting the child.

Where To Get Std Testing For Free With Or Without A Copay

From free clinics to at-home testing, there are plenty of places to get tested if you can’t or don’t want to head to your physician.

No one wants to hear that they have an STD. But getting tested and knowing is better than letting it worsen.

Talking about sex with a doctor is not fun. Even though doctors are prepared to talk about these things and frequently discuss them with other patients, bringing up your own sex life to your provider can feel awkward or downright embarrassing, especially if the thing you want to talk about is a sexually transmitted disease .

If you suspect you have an STD, though, you should talk to your doc as soon as you can. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear, because many STDs don’t show signs until months after you’ve contracted the disease, and some may not show signs at all.

But what if you can’t afford to go to a doctor, or don’t have access to one that can do a test? There are still plenty of options to get tested, and some of them are free. We rounded up all the different ways you can get checked for STDs without seeing your primary care doctor.

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How Does The At

At-home herpes tests take advantage of the fact that blood tests for herpes are widely available through commercial lab-testing sites. The vast majority of at-home herpes tests use the same tests that would be ordered at the doctors office, provided by the same laboratories. However, instead of going to a doctor, the tests are ordered online. This can be a good option for people who are uncomfortable discussing sexual behavior with their doctor or whose doctor is not willing to test for herpes.

What Should I Do If My Test Results Are Positive

Many at-home services have independent physicians or nurses reach out to people with positive test results. Theyll discuss your results with you and suggest a plan of action, possibly including medication.

If your results are positive, its important to let any recent sexual partners know so they can also get tested.

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What Is Being Tested

Herpes is a common viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus . The virus exists as two main types, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV testing identifies the presence of the virus in a sample from a blister, sore or fluid to diagnose an active herpes infection or testing detects antibodies in the blood to determine previous exposure to herpes.

Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 are contagious and periodically cause small fever blisters that break to form open lesions.

However, both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can affect either the oral or genital areas.

The herpes simplex virus can be passed from person-to-person through skin contact while the sores are open and healing and sometimes when there are no visible sores. HSV-2 is the type most often spread during sex, but HSV-1 may also infect the genital area during oral sex.

Most people who have HSV-2 are unaware they are infected because signs and symptoms may be mild and go unnoticed.

Once you are infected and the initial infection resolves, the virus remains in your body in a latent form for the rest of your life. During periods of stress or illness, the virus may reactivate and you may have periodic outbreaks. People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS or those who have had an organ transplant, may have more frequent and serious outbreaks of HSV.

Herpes may be tested a few different ways:

How Do Std Test Kits Work

Using an STD test kit is simple and usually requires no referrals or prescriptions from your doctor. The process may vary slightly from one company to the next, but one commonality is that they are delivered straight to your door and can be taken from the comfort of your home, eliminating the need to visit a doctor or clinic in person. Heres a general breakdown of what you can expect:

Receiving your kit:

After you order your kit, it will be shipped to you in a discreet package and will include all the instructions, forms, and return information youll need. Most kits will include a barcode that you enter into the site which logs you into your own portal. This is typically where youll receive your results and communicate with staff.

Collecting a sample:

Collecting your sample can be done in minutes, though the squeamish may want some company for assistance or support. The sample needed depends on the test, but the 3 most common sample types are urine, vaginal swab, and finger-prick. The kit will include complete instructions as well as all the materials necessary for collecting and shipping the sample.

Submitting for results:

After youve collected your sample, you need to send it to the lab to be tested. The time it takes to receive your results varies but generally spans 3 days to 2 weeks depending on the company.

Results are typically delivered via a private online portal.

Follow-up:

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When Should I See A Doctor

If you have a primary care doctor who you regularly see, you can share your results with them to provide better insight on your next steps.

If you dont have a primary care doctor, you can consult with a physician or nurse from the testing site about treatment options.

If youve been treating your symptoms with medication and are still in pain or discomfort, reach out to a healthcare professional.

Questions For Your Doctor After At

The following questions about the results of at-home genital and oral herpes testing may be helpful for patients to discuss with their doctor:

• Is my at-home herpes test result reliable?
• What is the most likely explanation for my test result?
• Are there any follow-up tests that you recommend?
• How should I discuss my test result with sexual partners?

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