Thursday, March 28, 2024

Where Can You Get Tested For Herpes For Free

Which Stis Should I Get Tested For

Herpes Simplex Virus

STIs are not like allergies you cant do a massive test for all STIs. These tests are specific to each infection. Talk to your doctor about which STI tests you need. Certain STIs are more common than others, so your provider may suggest you get tested regularly for them.

Remember to be honest and open with your provider about your sexual history. They are there to help, not judge you. What you share will help your doctor choose the most appropriate tests for your circumstances so that your testing will not cost more than necessary. Your individual risk factors will determine exactly which tests are most important for you.

How Accurate Is My Instant Herpes Test

Your Better2Know instant Herpes test is highly accurate and sensitive. If you are worried about Herpes, or are experiencing symptoms that may suggest a Herpes infection, you should get tested as soon as possible. Better2Knows private STI testing services in the UK are performed in line with the highest standards of quality and care.

How Much Does An Std Test Cost

How much you pay for STD testing depends on where you go, what tests you need, your income, and whether or not you use health insurance. It costs anywhere from $0-250, depending on which STDs youre getting tested for, and whether or not you have symptoms or need an exam.

You can probably get STD testing for free or at a reduced price if you have health insurance. STD testing can also be free or low cost with Medicaid and other government programs. And some health centers including many Planned Parenthood health centers give free or low-cost STD tests, depending on your income.

Planned Parenthood works to provide you with the services you need, whether or not you have health insurance. If youre worried about cost, check with your local Planned Parenthood health center, local health department, or other community health center to see if they can hook you up with STD testing that fits your budget.

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What Happens During An Hsv Test

HSV testing is usually done as a swab test, blood test, or lumbar puncture. The type of test you get will depend on your symptoms and health history.

  • For a swab test, a health care provider will use a swab to collect fluid and cells from a herpes sore.
  • For a blood test, a health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.
  • A lumbar puncture, also called a spinal tap, is only done if your provider thinks you may have an infection of the brain or spinal cord. During a spinal tap:
  • You will lie on your side or sit on an exam table.
  • A health care provider will clean your back and inject an anesthetic into your skin, so you won’t feel pain during the procedure. Your provider may put a numbing cream on your back before this injection.
  • Once the area on your back is completely numb, your provider will insert a thin, hollow needle between two vertebrae in your lower spine. Vertebrae are the small backbones that make up your spine.
  • Your provider will withdraw a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid for testing. This will take about five minutes.
  • Your provider may ask you to lie on your back for an hour or two after the procedure. This may prevent you from getting a headache afterward.

What Do The Results Mean

Sample STD Test Results

Your HSV test results will be given as negative, also called normal, or positive, also called abnormal.

Negative/Normal. The herpes virus was not found. You may still have an HSV infection if your results were normal. It may mean the sample didn’t have enough of the virus to be detected. If you still have symptoms of herpes, you may need to get tested again.

Positive/Abnormal. HSV was found in your sample. It may mean you have an active infection , or were infected in the past .

If you tested positive for HSV, talk to your health care provider. While there is no cure for herpes, it hardly ever causes serious health problems. Some people may only have one outbreak of sores their whole lives, while others break out more often. If you want to reduce the severity and number of your outbreaks, your provider may prescribe a medicine that can help.

Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.

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Is There Anything Else I Should Know

Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection. The skin lesions give other sexually transmitted diseases , including HIV, openings for entering the body. Likewise, it can make HIV-infected individuals more infectious. Infection with HSV can also increase HIV viral load. HSV-2 infection is a significant opportunistic infection in HIV-infected individuals due to immune system deficiencies up to 90% of HIV-infected individuals are co-infected with HSV-2.

The Different Types Of Herpes

Herpes, or the herpes simplex virus, is a highly contagious and common virus that causes cold sores and genital herpes. You may become infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 or herpes simplex virus type 2 . Each type of virus causes unique symptoms, so its important to understand their differences.

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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.

The Sexual Health Clinic Can Test You For

Herpes Simplex 1 & 2: Symptoms, Transmission and Treatment
  • Clients are called by numbers/letters throughout the visit to ensure confidentiality.
  • Testing and treatment are provided for clients with confirmed exposure to certain STDs.
  • Test results are usually available within 7 to 10 business days.
  • Staff can provide assistance with partner notification, referral services, and patient counseling, if needed.
  • Rapid HIV tests, results in 20 minutes or less, are available.
  • Confidential HIV testing and counseling available without an appointment.

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How Long Will It Take For Me To Get My Test Results

It depends on where you test and the test you take amongst other factors. At Private labs the test results are available within 1-2 business days for majority of the tests. The time for test results at the public testing facilities varies from a few days to a couple of weeks at most times. Some tests like Rapid HIV test results are available within 20-30 minutes, although the results are indicative and need to be validated by another HIV test.

What Does The Test Result Mean

Direct detection of the virus

  • A positive HSV DNA test or culture indicates that you have an active herpes infection, and the result may indicate if it is HSV-1 or HSV-2.
  • A negative PCR test or culture indicates that the herpes simplex virus was not detected, but this does not definitely rule out an infection. False negatives can occur if there is not enough active virus in the sample. This may happen if the lesion is cultured more than 48 hours after the symptoms appear. If suspicion of herpes remains high, repeat testing may be done.

Antibody blood tests

  • A positive HSV-1 or HSV-2 IgG antibody test means antibodies are present in your blood, which means you have had an infection in the past even if you haven’t noticed any symptoms. The type of antibody detected indicates the type of HSV infection.
  • Negative HSV antibody results mean that it is unlikely that you have been exposed to HSV or it may mean that your body has not had time to begin producing HSV antibodies.

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Getting Your Test Results

With some tests, you can get the results and treatment, if you need it on the same day. For others, you might have to wait for a week or 2. If this is the case, the clinic will check how you would prefer to receive your results.

If you test positive for an STI, you will be asked to go back to the clinic to talk about your results and the treatment you need.

Many STIs can be cured with antibiotics. Some infections, such as HIV, have no cure, but there are treatments available. The clinic can advise you on these and put you in touch with a counsellor.

If possible, tell your sexual partner and any ex-partners so they can get tested and treated as well.

If you don’t want to do this, the clinic can usually do it for you it’s called partner notification and the clinic won’t reveal who you are.

Other Places To Go For Help

How to Find Free or Low

Sexual health and GUM clinics have the greatest expertise in testing and treatments for STIs, but you can also go to:

  • a young people’s sexual health service call the National Sexual Health Helpline on 0300 123 7123
  • a community contraception clinic

They may be able to offer tests for some infections and advise you on where to go for further help.

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How Do I Get Tested For Stis And/or Hiv At The Health Center

Step 1: Call the health center at and follow the options to speak to a nurse. Tell the nurse that youd like to get tested. The nurse line is usually available Monday through Friday from 8:20 a.m. to 4:40 p.m.

Step 2: Nursing will ask you a few questions and put in an order for your testing at our laboratory.

Step 3: Walk in at your convenience and check in at the health center front desk Monday through Friday between 8:20 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. Tell the registration staff that youre checking in for lab only. Our staff will get you checked in and direct you to the lab, where you will complete your testing.

Step 4: Nursing staff will call you in a few business days with results and schedule follow-up as needed. Results will also be available in your One Chart | Patient portal in about two to three business days.

Are Test Results Accurate

Testing is an important step in accurately diagnosing genital and oral herpes, and there are several types of tests that may be used to establish a diagnosis. Although blood antibody testing is appropriate for some patients, its not considered the most accurate way of diagnosing a current HSV infection. Experts have several concerns about using blood testing to diagnose genital and oral herpes:

  • Accuracy of tests vary: Not all commercially available blood tests that detect antibodies to HSV have the same level of accuracy due to shared characteristics of the different types of herpesviruses. For example, persons who were infected with the chickenpox/shingles virus may have a higher risk of false positive results.
  • Not all tests describe the type of HSV: Some blood tests cannot tell the difference between antibodies to HSV-1 and antibodies to HSV-2, so they require additional laboratory testing to determine the kind of antibody detected.
  • Cant tell between genital and oral infections: Unlike tests that require a sample taken during an outbreak, blood antibody tests cannot distinguish between a genital and oral infections because either can be found at both sites, so at-home tests alone cannot diagnose genital or oral herpes.

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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.

What Should I Do If My Test Results Are Positive

What You Need to Know About Genital Herpes

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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Minors Are Able To Consent To Sti Testing In All 50 States And Washington Dc

And no state requires that the provider notify guardians about this service .

However, 18 states which you can find listed here allow doctors and other HCPs to inform guardians that a minor sought STI services. Find out what the laws in your state or region are, and talk with a doctor or other HCP about how your information might be shared.

If you have questions like Do I have ? or What to do if ?, the HCP doing the testing is your best bet.

For more general information about STIs, check out:

A Quick Look At The 6 Best At

MNT chooses at-home tests that meet the following criteria where possible:

  • Laboratories: Where possible, MNT will choose companies that process test samples in labs. This means they follow state and federal regulations.
  • Budget: MNT chooses at-home tests that suit a wide range of budgets.
  • Privacy: MNT includes companies that offer robust and transparent privacy measures, such as data protection and discreet packaging.
  • Test result speed: MNT selects companies that inform customers when they will receive their test results and whether they will receive them via email, app, or phone.
  • Further support: MNT will indicate whether a company offers further support, such as a follow-up phone consultation with a doctor to discuss test results.

Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.

Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more here.

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What If If Im Under The Age Of 18

Can you still get tested without a parent/guardians permission? While the law can vary from state to state, in most cases you can get tested for all STDs without signed consent from a parent or guardian even if you are age 17 or younger. It is still a good idea to check with the local laws in your area.

You Have Options For How You Tell Your Partner

Free herpes testing Gatineau

If you test positive for an STI, telling any past or current partners is M-U-S-T so they can get treated and prevent potential transmission.

If you suspect that disclosing a positive result to your partner will compromise your safety or you just dont want to do it yourself! a doctor or other HCP can notify them anonymously.

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How Is It Diagnosed

Herpes can be diagnosed by a physical examination. If there are sores present, a swab is taken and sent to a lab for testing. If you do not have a sore then there is no way to definitively test for HSV. Blood tests currently available are not useful because they cannot tell you where on your body you have HSV. Blood tests are not covered by OHIP.

How We Chose The Best At

When researching at-home herpes tests, we considered online reviews, privacy protocols, result times, result accuracy, and budget.

We prioritized affordable pricing and accessibility to digital results. Additionally, we kept an eye on user ratings and reviews to ensure that most people received accurate results and were happy with their experience.

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When To Talk With A Doctor

Talk with a doctor if you notice any sores on or around your genitals. Other STIs, like syphilis, can look like herpes but need different treatment. Treatment is needed to prevent complications and transmission.

Your doctor will let you know whether you should test for herpes or another STI, and they can help you get treatment if needed.

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