How Do I Tell My Partner
When contacting previous sexual partners about chlamydia, its important to be direct and honest. Let them know that you contracted chlamydia and when it was diagnosed. Encourage them to seek testing and treatment, and remind them that most people are asymptomatic.
Although it may be an uncomfortable conversation, notifying your partners is the best way to protect them and others from transmitting chlamydia. Although thereâs a lot of social stigmas associated with STIs, they can be a regular part of being sexually active thereâs nothing to be embarrassed about.
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.
What To Think About
- Normal test results do not mean you do not have a herpes infection.
- Herpes is often diagnosed by symptoms and by knowing whether the person has had contact with an infected person. Sometimes a test is not needed. A person who has genital herpes needs to learn how to avoid spreading the disease, because the disease is more likely to be spread when he or she has sores. If you have recurrent outbreaks, especially during times of stress or illness, you can also spread the disease.
- You may want to know whether a herpes infection is due to HSV-1 or HSV-2 so you can take steps to prevent or treat outbreaks.
- A genital herpes infection can be spread from a mother to her baby during vaginal delivery. In a newborn, herpes can cause organ failure, brain infection, and death. If active herpes is present near the time of delivery, a caesarean delivery may be done to prevent infecting the baby.
You May Like: Can You Test For Herpes
You May Like: Best Way To Test For Herpes
Is Herpes Detected In A Blood Test
Yes, herpes is detected in a blood test. This is our most popular herpes test. It will tell you whether you have herpes 1 , herpes 2 , neither, or both. This test needs a small blood sample.
You should wait until at least 4 to 6 weeks after you think you might have caught herpes before having this test. If it has been less time than this, you can either wait or choose another test if you have symptoms.
Is This Test Right For Me
This test may be useful if you:
- Want to determine if you have developed antibodies for either HSV-1 or HSV-2
- Are a person with recurrent genital symptoms
- Have a prior clinical diagnosis of genital herpes without laboratory confirmation
- Are a person whose partner has known genital herpes
- Are a person with multiple sex partners
- Are a person with a HIV infection
- Are a man who have sex with men
PLEASE NOTE
Herpes Simplex Virus 2 serologic screening is not recommended among the general population. Additionally, if an active lesion is present, please seek further testing from your doctor as direct detection of virus is preferred.
Read Also: How To Find Out If You Have Herpes At Home
Never Just Assume That Your Doctor Already Tested You For Herpes
Most doctors NEVER test their patients for herpes, even when they are testing you for other STDs. Thats right. A herpes blood test is NOT INCLUDED in the Standard STD Panels. Most doctors will NOT test you for herpes UNLESS YOU ASK SPECIFICALLY FOR A HERPES BLOOD TEST. If you arent sure whether or not your doctor tested you for herpes last time, ASK them for a copy of all of your last STD test results. If you dont see a blood test result for both HSV-1 and HSV-2, then you were not tested. The majority of people have NEVER been tested for herpes and dont know they have it.
The best way to diagnose herpes when you are not having symptoms is to request a herpes blood test. Or if you are having an active outbreak then immediately go to the doctor to get a herpes lab culture AND a herpes blood test. You must SPECIFICALLY REQUEST that your doctor give you a herpes blood test and a herpes lab culture or else your doctor might just do a visual inspection and may easily misdiagnose herpes as something else such as jock itch, a yeast infection, or rough sex. When your symptoms go away usually within a few days to a few weeks, you may not even realize that you just experienced a herpes outbreak.
Herpes Testing : What Are Your Options
Medically reviewed by Michele Emery, DNP
Are you worried you might have been exposed to the herpes virus?
First: donât panic. The HSV viruses are a lot more common than you may think, and are very manageable in most cases.
Second: if you think youve been exposed to the herpes virus, testing is going to be your first plan of action.
Take a couple deep breaths and when youâre ready, read on.
Donât Miss: Can You Donate Eggs If You Have Herpes
Don’t Miss: How To Treat Lip Herpes
Can I Still Have Sex If I Have Herpes
If you have herpes, you should talk to your sex partner and let him or her know that you do and the risk involved. Using condoms may help lower this risk but it will not get rid of the risk completely. Having sores or other symptoms of herpes can increase your risk of spreading the disease. Even if you do not have any symptoms, you can still infect your sex partners.
You may have concerns about how genital herpes will impact your overall health, sex life, and relationships. It is best for you to talk to a health care provider about those concerns, but it also is important to recognize that while herpes is not curable, it can be managed with medication. Daily suppressive therapy for herpes can also lower your risk of spreading genital herpes to your sex partner. Be sure to discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider. Since a genital herpes diagnosis may affect how you will feel about current or future sexual relationships, it is important to understand how to talk to sexual partners about STDsexternal icon.
Read Also: What Foods Can Cause Herpes Outbreaks
Book Your Herpes Test
Better2Know is the worlds leading provider of private sexual health testing services. We will arrange a clinic appointment or home testing kit quickly, and deliver fast and accurate results for your peace of mind. If you have any concerns about your sexual health, please call our friendly booking team on the number above or click Book Now.
You May Like: Will L Lysine Help Genital Herpes
Read Also: Accuracy Of Herpes Blood Test
Best Sti Panel Test For Herpes: Everlywell
- Collection method: finger prick blood sample and a vaginal swab or urine sample
- Results: within 57 days
- Follow-up care: board-certified physicians will contact users to offer treatment for positive results
- Pro: tests for seven STIs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea
- Con: customers report waiting up to 2 weeks for results
Everlywell offers STI test panels for males and females. This test may be most suitable for people who want to test for a wide range of STIs.
This company offers two STI tests: one for males and one for females. Both tests require a finger-prick blood sample. The test for females also requires a vaginal swab, and the test for males also requires a urine sample.
This test screens for the following STIs:
Once a person has purchased a test, they must register it on Everlywells website. They then need to post the collected samples with prepaid shipping.
Everlywell states that people can receive their test results within 57 of posting the samples. However, several customer reviews on the companys website say they had to wait up to 2 weeks.
The person receives digital and printable results. If they test positive for any STIs, they can connect with Everlywells network of independent physicians for advice and treatment.
This test costs $149. However, people can subscribe for twice-yearly tests and save money per kit. They can also use their FSA or HSA to pay for this test.
Use code HEALTHLINE25 for 25% off.
Doctors Don’t Advise Getting A Blood Test For Herpes Without Any Symptoms
Hilda Hutcherson, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, is one of those doctors. “I usually dont do tests for herpes someone has a lesion or a sore, something I can see, I will do a swab and take it to a culture or check the DNA on the materials I removed,” she says. “If theres nothing there and I do a blood test and the blood test comes back positive, lets say its positive for type 1, what does that really mean? Most people are positive for type 1.” She adds that someone could be HSV-1-positive and either have or not have genital herpes. The result “doesnt mean much, and it makes people go crazy.”
Hutcherson’s motto is pretty simple: Why stress yourself over something if you haven’t seen anything especially when it’s something as common as herpes? “Let’s say they have a blood test come in positive but theyve never had a lesion. Now what? You may never get a lesion,” she says. It’s for this reason that she recommends people do not get tested for herpes unless they have a visible lesion that can be cultured and sent to a lab. Let’s say you get tested anyway and it comes back positive, despite the fact that you have no symptoms. What do you do?
Recommended Reading: How To Suppress Herpes Virus
Herpes Blood Tests Very Accurate Can Be Done Even When Symptoms Are Not Present
Many out-of-date doctors will tell you that there are no reliable blood tests for herpes that can accurately distinguish between HSV-1 and HSV-2. These doctors *used to* be right. And some of the old, inaccurate blood tests are still out there. But medicine has made great strides, and since 1999, there are several NEW IgG blood tests now available that DO very accurately distinguish between HSV-1 and HSV-2 and are 97-100% ACCURATE, if taken no earlier than 12-16 weeks after your possible exposure to the virus. Please note that despite the relatively high accuracy of these blood tests, false positives and false negatives do occur. If you have conflicting results on 2 different herpes blood tests, you should probably order the Western Blot herpes blood test see below.
Since some doctors and clinics are still using the older, inaccurate blood tests. Always make sure to find out the name of the company and test that your doctor or lab is ordering for herpes blood tests, and make sure it is one of the tests on the good list and not one of the tests on the bad list.
Donât Miss: Can You Get Tested For Herpes At Urgent Care
When Should I Get A Genital Or Oral Herpes Test
Testing for the viruses that cause genital and oral herpes may be ordered when a patient develops 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 of the body. HSV can reactivate throughout a patients life, causing symptoms of genital or oral herpes to reappear. While the trigger for an HSV outbreak is often unknown, potential triggers include a 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
Read Also: Can Herpes Go Away Forever
How To Test For Herpes: Diagnosis And Testing
Herpes simplex is a virus that may or may not be sexually transmitted.
There are 2 types which can cause painful blisters and ulcers.
Most often, HSV-1 causes oral herpes , and most often, HSV-2 causes genital lesions.
These can be interchangeable though, and sometimes genital lesions may be caused by HSV-1 or oral lesions can be caused by HSV-2.
Herpes simplex affects an estimated 3.7 billion people across the world, including nearly half of all adults under age 50 in the United States.
Understanding the signs and symptoms of herpes can help you get proper medical care and manage outbreaks.
This article covers the differences between HSV-1 and HSV-2, as well as testing, treatment, precautions, prevention, and how to know when you need to see a doctor.
How Test Accuracy Is Measured
The accuracy of all medical tests, including herpes tests, is measured based on two values: sensitivity and specificity.
Sensitivityis how often a test correctly identifies someone with a disease. A test that is 90% sensitive will correctly identify 90 people out of 100 who have the disease. Ten people will have a false-negative result.
Specificity, on the other hand, refers to a test’s ability to correctly identify someone who doesn’t have the disease. If a test is 90% specific, that means that 90 people out of 100 will be correctly diagnosed as not having a disease and that 10 people will have a false-positive result.
The higher the sensitivity and specificity, the lower the chances of a false result.
Also Check: Herpes Simplex 2 Pictures Females
Genital Herpes Is Common Why Doesnt Cdc Recommend Testing Everyone For This Std
CDC does not recommend herpes testing for people without symptoms. This is because diagnosing genital herpes in someone without symptoms has not shown any change in their sexual behavior nor has it stopped the virus from spreading. Also, false positive test results are possible. Even if you do not have symptoms, you should talk openly and honestly about your sexual history with your doctor to find out if you should be tested for any STDs, including herpes.
Although CDC does not recommend that everyone get tested for herpes, herpes testing may be useful in some situations. Herpes blood tests might be useful
- If you have genital symptoms that could be related to herpes,
- If you have a sex partner with genital herpes, or
- If you want a complete STD exam, especially if you have multiple sex partners.
Please note that while a herpes blood test can help determine if you have herpes infection, it will not be able to tell you who gave you the infection.
Why The Test Is Performed
The test is done to find out whether a person has ever been infected with oral or genital herpes. It looks for antibodies to herpes simplex virus 1 and herpes simplex virus 2 . An antibody is a substance made by the bodys immune system when it detects harmful substances such as the herpes virus. This test does not detect the virus itself.
Also Check: What To Do During Herpes Outbreak
There Are Two Common Blood Tests Used To Identify Herpes And They’re Often Misleading
“I had a patient once who underwent this test, which was positive, and was told she has herpes, which to her was devastating and life-altering,” Friedman says. “She burst into tears when I explained the significance or lack thereof with this test, which is very misleading.” There are two common blood tests used to identify herpes: IgG and IgM. The IgM test is still used by some doctors even though it has been denounced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . According to the American Sexual Health Association , IgM tests can lead to deceptive results, as well as false assumptions about how and when a person acquired HSV.
And that’s not all: IgM tests fail to accurately distinguish between HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies, leading them to provide false-positive results for HSV-2. In other words, if you’ve been exposed to oral herpes , results of the IgM test could lead you to believe you’re positive for genital herpes, when in fact you simply have antibodies against HSV-1.
IgG tests, on the other hand, are more accurate, but aren’t without their own issues. For instance, ASHA says that while an IgG test can distinguish between HSV-1 and HSV-2, the problem is that the time it takes for IgG antibodies to reach a detectable level varies from person to person. This means that even with accurate results, someone could get a false-negative if they have the test administered too soon after contracting the virus .