Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Do Clinics Test For Herpes

Where Can I Get Tested For Herpes

Discontinuation of Herpes Simplex virus (HSV) IgM Testing

You can get tested for herpes and other STDs at your doctors office, a community health clinic, the health department, or your local Planned Parenthood health center.

STD testing isnt usually part of your regular checkup or gynecologist exam you have to ask for it. Be honest with your nurse or doctor so they can help you figure out which tests are best for you. Dont be embarrassed: Your doctor is here to help you, not to judge you.

Genital Herpes Is Common Shouldnt Cdc Recommend Testing For Everyone

CDC recommends herpes testing for people who have genital symptoms to confirm if they have it. Testing allows a healthcare provider to talk with patients about what to expect in the future. This includes talking about medications that help with symptoms. Providers can also tell patients how to lower the risk of transmitting herpes to sex partner.

CDC does not recommend herpes testing for people without symptoms in most situations. This is because of the limits of a herpes blood test and the possibility of a wrong test result. The chances of wrong test results are higher for people who are at low risk of infection.

Blood tests might be useful if:

  • You have genital symptoms that could be related to herpes, or
  • You have a sex partner with genital herpes, or
  • Your provider found signs of herpes, but you still need a test to confirm it.

If you are sexually active, talk openly and honestly with your healthcare provider about what tests are right for you. These tips can help.

What Is Herpes Simplex

Herpes simplex is a virus that causes skin infections. The infection lasts your lifetime, and it causes painful or itchy sores and blisters that come and go. Herpes simplex virus typically doesnt cause severe problems. But it can be dangerous in infants and people with weakened immune systems. There are two types of herpes simplex:

  • Herpes simplex 1 tends to affect your mouth or face. It causes cold sores. HSV-1 spreads through contact with saliva .
  • Herpes simplex 2 is a sexually transmitted disease . It causes sores on skin that comes in contact with the genitals of an infected person.

Sometimes a herpes infection can affect other parts of your body, such as your eyes or other parts of your skin.

Read Also: What Dies Genital Herpes Look Like

Also Check: How Do I Tell My Boyfriend I Have Herpes

Testing For Herpes On A Widespread Scale Probably Wouldnt Curb The Spread

Nearly every medical health expert I spoke to agreed that testing for herpes likely wouldnt do much to help curb the spread of the virus. Given the complex nature of the virus , I dont know if testing widely would curb the spread, says Loanzon.

The only accurate test for herpes is a culture of an active sore or ulcer. So, if you dont have active symptoms, you shouldnt get tested. Herpes is spread by skin-to-skin contact. Its highly contagious and simply not that big of a deal. Herpes-positive advocates like Loanzon are doing their best to help give people the information they need to protect themselves, but also to understand how common this virus really is. Practice safe sex, have frank disclosures with your partner before engaging in sexual activity, and see a health care provider for further questions or concerns. If you do receive a positive herpes diagnosis, please know that you are not alone and there are many people who are thriving, love and are loved, and living life with the virus successfully without missing anything in life, she says.

Lets end the stigma. Lets fight for comprehensive sex education for all and stop scaring people with pictures of herpes sores. Stigma is tiredinformation is wired.

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Hsv Blood Test / Role Of Type Specific Herpes Simplex Virus 1 And 2 ...
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The Blood Tests Do Have A Lot Of Value But Here Are The Biggest Issues:

  • About 50% of the population has type 1 herpes. Type 1 can be genital or oral. If you have never had symptoms and obtain an IgG based type-specific blood test , and the test comes back positive for type 1, we have no way of knowing whether you are infected orally, genitally, or both. The only way we can know which location is infected is by symptoms.

  • About 30% of negative results for HSV 1 are false negatives. This means if you test negative, you might still have HSV 1.

  • If you are positive for type 2 and fall within a positive range of 1.1 3.5, theres a decent chance this is a false positive. About 50% of positives that fall in this range are in error, with the closer you get to 3.5 the more likely you are positive and the closer to 1.1 the less likely you are positive. There can be false positives above 3.5 as well but theyre less likely. If you do test positive within this low range, the CDC recommends confirmatory testing. The most accurate confirmatory blood test is the Western Blot. The Western Blot is more complicated to obtain and your insurance may not cover it. In addition, many doctors do not know about the high false positive rate within this range so they incorrectly diagnose their patients without getting confirmation. I have worked with a number of patients diagnosed within this range who I encouraged to follow up with the Western Blot and they discovered they were negative.

  • Blood tests given too early after possible exposure can be false negative.

  • If You Have Genital Herpes Already Can It Be Spread To Other Parts Of The Body Such As The Arms Or Legs

    No. Genital herpes cannot be transmitted to another part of your body such as your arm, leg or hand after the first infection occurs. If you have genital HSV II, you will not get HSV II at another site in your body. The immune system produces antibodies that protect other parts of your body from infection. However, there are cases where a person has multiple site infections from the same virus. This is usually acquired at the time of the first infection. For example, if someone has never had herpes but then has oral and genital sex with an infected partner, they can acquire the infection at both sites.

    You May Like: How To Heal Herpes Naturally

    Read Also: Herpes 1 And 2 Blood Test

    Nonetheless Asymptomatic Individuals Can Still Pass Herpes On And You Could Be One Of Them Even If You Obtain Regular Std Testing

    Many doctors also don’t inform patients that the test is not included, so when people do have symptoms and receive a diagnosis, there can be feelings of confusion and worry about whether a partner was dishonest or cheated, when their partner simply may not have known about the infection. In fact, by the time some people are diagnosed, it can be very difficult to determine how long they’ve had the infection. This means they may not have contracted it from their current partner.

    Polymerase Chain Reaction Test

    Apollo Hospitals | All You Need To Know About Herpes | Dr. Ravikiran Barigala

    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.

    Don’t Miss: What Does Herpes Look Like When It Starts

    So Why Is This Test Not Included Doesnt The Medical Community Care About Preventing Transmission

    Although it may not feel this way, the doctors and researchers who established these guidelines have been quite thoughtful about them. If you read the documents, you can see that the researchers sensitively consider their decision from many different angles. In fact, you can learn a ton about the research on genital herpes and transmission where they discuss the reasoning for their decision.

    The biggest contributing factor to the guidelines is that 1) standard herpes blood tests are not totally reliable and 2) receiving a herpes diagnosis can have a significant impact on mental health while being virtually non-threatening to your physical health.

    Read Also: How To Heal Genital Herpes Fast

    What Is An Std

    The difference between STDs and STIs is often muddled.

    An STD is a sexually transmitted disease resulting from an STI. Infections happen when bacteria, parasites, or viruses enter the body. This process happens before a disease develops.

    While STDs stem from infections , having an STI does not necessarily mean you will develop a disease from that infection.

    As we mentioned, some infections may show no symptoms, so testing is very important for preventing the spread of STIs. On the other hand, a disease typically has more clear-cut signs or symptoms.

    If youve been sexually active, its a good idea to be tested for STIs. Also, get tested if:

    If youre in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship and both you and your partner were tested before entering the relationship, you may not need regular STI testing.

    But many people in long-term relationships werent tested before they got together. If thats the case for you and your partner, its possible that one or both of you have been living with an undiagnosed STI for years. The safest choice is to get tested.

    Your doctor probably wont offer to test you for herpes unless you have a known exposure or ask for the test.

    Read Also: How To Help Herpes Itching

    How Can I Prevent Transmitting Herpes

    Although latex condoms can reduce the risk of transmitting most STIs by 98%, condoms dont prevent herpes transmission. This is because not all herpes sores occur in areas that are covered by a condom.

    If youre experiencing an active outbreak, you can

    • avoiding sexual activity until symptoms go away
    • washing your hands thoroughly and applying medication with cotton swabs to reduce contact with sores

    Taking a daily antiviral herpes medication can also help prevent transmission, shorten outbreaks, and manage symptoms.

    How To Get Tested

    LetsGetChecked At Home Herpes Test

    Tests for genital and oral herpes are available at doctors offices, medical clinics, and community-based organizations that offer STD testing. Testing is often ordered by a doctor but may be available over the counter and at community-based organizations without a physicians orders.

    You can order a herpes test from Testing.com with testing from a local lab. Or you can test for herpes as part of a complete STD panel.

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    When Should I Get A Genital Or Oral Herpes Test

    Testing for the viruses that cause genital and oral herpes may be ordered if you have signs and symptoms of a herpes infection. Although many people who contract HSV never notice symptoms, signs of an initial infection appear 2 to 20 days after infection and depend on the type of HSV causing the infection.

    When signs and symptoms of an initial infection occur, they may include:

    • Small sores on the skin
    • Tingling, itching, or burning on the skin
    • Fever, headache, or body aches
    • Swollen lymph nodes

    After the initial infection, HSV remains dormant inside the body. HSV can reactivate throughout your life, causing symptoms of genital or oral herpes to reappear. While the trigger for an HSV outbreak is often unknown, potential triggers include fever, stress, physical trauma, and a suppressed immune system.

    Generally, expert organizations do not recommend herpes testing for patients without symptoms. An exception may be made for certain patients, including:

    • Patients who have a partner with genital herpes
    • Patients seeking a more complete STD test panel, including people with multiple sexual partners
    • Babies born to a mother who has HSV

    It’s Not Always Clear What To Do With Herpes Test Results

    Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, an STI specialist at the University of Washington Medical School, believes that the problem with herpes testing isn’t the tests themselves. “Its under debate whether herpes testing is cost-effective and really going to improve people’s psychosocial health,” Dr. Marrazzo tells Health. “If it’s positive, it may be difficult to figure out where you got it. If you’ve never had symptoms, there’s the question of whether or not you go on suppressive therapy.”

    Also Check: How To Stop Genital Herpes Outbreaks

    Does My Healthcare Provider Include A Blood Test For Genital Herpes When They Test Me For Everything

    Herpes blood tests may or may not be part of the tests your healthcare provider gives you. They may choose tests based on several factors .

    They will also evaluate you for signs or symptoms of herpes to choose which tests to use. This is why its important to talk openly and honestly with your provider during your visit. Ask them which infections they are and are not testing you for and why.

    Additional Resources

    What About Mental Health

    Understanding Herpes Testing

    We also know that due to the stigma, learning that you are positive for herpes can impact your mental health. Research shows that people diagnosed with herpes are more likely to become depressed, withdraw socially, and experience reduced self-esteem. The shame associated with contracting herpes can make a big impact on a persons quality of life. This is despite the fact that its a common virus that affects people of all walks of life, all social circles, and all socioeconomic classes. It not only affects people who have casual sex partners but also people who limit their sexual behavior to monogamous relationships. It can even affect people who have only had one partner.

    I can almost guarantee you know multiple people who have genital herpes even if no one has ever told you. Also, many cases of genital herpes occur as a result of oral sex from someone who has a history of cold sores .

    Read Also: Antiviral Medication Herpes Simplex 1

    Why Doctors Dont Automatically Test You For Herpes

    OK, clearly herpes is super common. So why dont doctors automatically test for it when you ask to get tested for everything? To answer that question, its important to understand the difference between STI testing and STI screening. Testing is done when you have symptoms, whereas screening is done in the absence of symptomsjust to check to see if youve been exposed.

    Doctors will screen for STIs such as gonorrhea and chlamydia even in the absence of symptoms. This is key from a public health perspective because catching these infections in time can prevent serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease. This happens when an untreated STI like gonorrhea or chlamydia infects reproductive organs, possibly leading to infertility.

    Experts dont screen for herpes for a few reasons.

    The U.S. Preventative Task Force has recommended against screening asymptomatic adolescents and adults for HSV infections. The rationale is that there is no health benefit thats been proven and there a couple of risks, Dr. Johnston says. One is a false positive test, and the second is a risk of anxiety is not associated with serious health outcomes, yet its still feared.

    Even pregnant people who could theoretically risk passing the virus during childbirth are not screened unless they have a history of herpes outbreaks or a current outbreak, Peter Leone, M.D., of UNCs Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases, tells SELF.

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    • Collection method: blood test
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    • Cost:$45 for HSV-1 or HSV-2 only, $79 for both
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    • Con: requires a visit to a laboratory

    STDcheck offers tests for both HSV-1 and HSV-2. A person can order an HSV-2 test for $45, or they can order a test for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 for $79. There is also an option to order a test package that tests for 10 different STIs.

    This option is best for people who need their results quickly.

    To order a test, a person must enter their ZIP code on the company website to find their nearest testing center. The company claims it has over 4,500 test centers nationwide, making them a convenient option for most people.

    A person needs to attend their local test center for a blood test. They should then receive their online results within 12 days. Anyone who receives a positive result is eligible for a phone consultation with a STDcheck doctor. The doctor may prescribe treatments at their discretion.

    Recommended Reading: Herpes Test Planned Parenthood Cost

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