Thursday, March 28, 2024

Where Can You Go To Get Tested For Herpes

Are There Any Risks To The Test

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There is no known risk to having a swab test.

There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.

If you had a lumbar puncture, you may have pain or tenderness in your back where the needle was inserted. You may also get a headache after the procedure.

Information For Sexual Partners

You need to tell your sexual partner before you have sexual contact, including oral sex. Latex condoms used consistently can help reduce the risk of genital herpes but are not completely protective. If you have symptoms or sores, avoid any sexual contact until the sores are completely healed and symptoms have gone away. Healed skin means the scab has fallen off and the skin looks normal. Avoid kissing or oral sex when you have a cold sore. Daily antiviral medication can help reduce the risk of passing on the infection.

When To Get Tested For Stds / Stis

In general, everyone under 25 should be tested annually. And everyone over the age of 25 who is at increased risk should also be tested annually.

For individual STIs, there are guidelines for testing each one based on the time of its incubation period. That means it takes a certain amount of time for each infection to show up on a test. You can see a list as follows.

There are also general recommendations for STD testing for those that are sexually active regardless of exposure risk. These come from sources like the CDC, which provides screening recommendations for healthcare providers.

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Does Medicare Cover At

Medicare does not cover at-home herpes tests. Medicare does not cover herpes testing at all, although it will cover testing for other STIs. It is possible that some at-home herpes tests can be covered by private insurance, and Nurx.com accepts Medicaid but only in three states . People who want to try to have their herpes test covered by insurance may be easier to go to their doctor or local STI clinic. Planned Parenthood and other Title X clinics may also offer free or low-cost STI testing, including testing for herpes. However, insurance coverage of herpes testing may be limited to people who have symptoms.

How Urgent Is A Post

Awaiting my test results, does this appear to be herpes?

Start post-exposure treatment for genital herpes immediately after symptoms begin to appear. Antiviral medications can help reduce the severity and duration of symptoms while also reducing the risk of transmission to sexual partners.

Swab testing is most likely to detect HSV when completed with 72 hours of symptoms first appearing. Meaning, if you suspect you are experiencing symptoms, see a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

Be sure to let your healthcare provider know that you may have had exposure to genital herpes.

While there is no specific deadline to get treated for genital herpes, upon being diagnosed, your doctor can prescribe antiviral medications that can help shorten the length and severity of the outbreak. â

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Situations That Warrant Emergency:

Assault: It is important to be seen directly afterwards to be checked for STDs after sexual assault. Keep in mind this is base-line testing and future testing will also be ordered. This will also give the physicians an opportunity to perform a full physical exam and collect evidence.

Immediate Exposure to HIV: Emergency drugs are available to fight back HIV if you know that youve just been put at real risk for contracting the virus. It can even be possible to eliminate the virus if its early enough.

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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Best Affordable Herpes Test: Healthlabs

HealthLabs offers laboratory-based herpes tests. These may be the best option for people who do not have health insurance and those working with small budgets.

Collection method
does not require appointments and accepts walk-ins
Con requires a visit to a laboratory for a healthcare professional to collect the sample

After placing an order, the person receives a laboratory requisition form, which they need to print out and present at a laboratory. The company claims it has 4,500 laboratory locations, and individuals should receive their test results within 23 business days.

HealthLabs has three herpes tests available for purchase:

  • a test for HSV-1, which costs $45
  • a test for HSV-2, which costs $45
  • a test for HSV-1 and HSV-2, which costs $79

People may also order at-home tests for other STIs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV.

offers tests for early detection of herpes
Con requires a visit to a laboratory

To order either herpes test, a person must access the company website and enter their ZIP code to find their nearest testing center.

The company claims it has over 4,000 private test centers across the United States.

After ordering the herpes test, a person can walk into their local center to receive the testing. An appointment is not necessary.

The test procedure involves a simple blood test and urine sample, which typically takes a matter of minutes. A person can expect to receive their online test results within 13 days.

What Happens If You Dont Get Herpes Treatment

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The good news about herpes is that its not deadly or even very dangerous. It might be annoying, but herpes doesnt get worse over time or cause serious health problems like other STDs can.

If you dont get treated for herpes, you might keep having regular outbreaks, or they could only happen rarely. Some people naturally stop getting outbreaks after a while.

There are a few reasons people may decide not to get treatment. They might not have that many outbreaks, or their outbreaks dont really bother them. Or maybe theyre not having sex, so theyre not that worried about having herpes right now. Whatever your situation is, getting treatment for herpes is your choice.

Having herpes can make it easier to get HIV, because the sores give HIV an open pathway into your body. So always use condomsto help prevent the spread of both herpes and HIV.

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How To Diagnose Herpes

Genital herpes is typically diagnosed through examination by a medical professional and a blood test. If you suspect you have genital herpes , you can take an antibody test.

To test for 6 other common STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis C, HIV, syphilis, and trichomoniasis, try the Everlywell home STD Test for women or the STD Test for men. After you collect your sample at home, it is received and analyzed at the lab, and the test results are sent to you quickly and discreetly via our secure, online platform.

Why Genital Herpes Comes Back

Genital herpes is caused by a virus called herpes simplex. Once you have the virus, it stays in your body.

It will not spread in your body to cause blisters elsewhere. It stays in a nearby nerve and causes blisters in the same area.

If you can, avoid things that trigger your symptoms.

Triggers can include:

  • surgery on your genital area
  • a weakened immune system for example, from having chemotherapy for cancer

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Herpes Lab Cultures Only Accurate Some Of The Time

Many doctors and health care professionals are not up-to-date about herpes diagnosis and will tell you that the only way to accurately diagnose whether or not you have the genital herpes virus is by taking a swab from an active herpes sore or lesion and sending it to the lab for a culture test. However, this only works if the patients sore is fairly new or else the virus may no longer be active on the skin. If you get a Herpes Lab Culture and it comes out negative, you may still have genital herpes. Because most herpes outbreaks are short and mild, and because most people have few, mild or even NO outbreaks, we highly recommend taking a herpes blood test when no active sores or lesions are present, and in ADDITION to a Herpes Lab Culture when there is a sore present.

When Should You Consider Getting Tested

Does look like herpes??

Herpes is a sneaky, deceitful virus. It hides deep inside your nerve cells for unpredictable periods of time before triggering visible symptoms. In many cases, it infects the body and spreads to others without any obvious signs at all. As many as 90 percent of people infected with herpes are unaware they have the virus because theyve never experienced an outbreak.

People who dont have symptoms are more likely to transmit the herpes virus through a phenomenon known as asymptomatic shedding. This occurs when the virus sheds from the skin and spreads to others, even when no sores are present. Asymptomatic shedding is undetectable as there are no signs or symptoms, but it’s real.

According to research, at least 70% of infected people experience asymptomatic shedding of HSV-1 at least once a month. Many may even shed the herpes virus without symptoms more than six times per month.

Given that the herpes virus doesnt always trigger outbreaks and symptoms, testing is an important way to monitor your health. The CDC recommends testing if you are experiencing symptoms that could be related to herpes or if you recently had sex with a new partner who has genital herpes.

Remember, its possible that early herpes symptoms may not seem related to herpes. An initial herpes outbreak causes flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, fever and chills. These symptoms may be paired with pain, itching and redness around the affected area.

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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.

How Much Do At

Most insurance companies do not cover herpes testing, either at-home or in-person. At-home tests cost an average of around $120 to $130, although some companies offer a discount for people who subscribe to regular testing. If your insurance does cover herpes testing, consider using one of the companies that bill insurance. This may be able to reduce your cost significantly. In some instances, you may be able to get reimbursed by your insurance company for testing.

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How Can Herpes Be Tested/checked

Better2Know has three ways of testing for the Herpes virus:

  • Blood Test if you have no symptoms
  • Urine Test if you currently have symptoms
  • Swab Test if you have a blister or other lesion for swabbing to see if it is caused by HSV.

At Better2Know, you can choose your test method: urine or a swab if you have symptoms, and blood if you do not. Results are available within 25 working days from us receiving your sample depending on which sample is taken. The test will tell you whether you have HSV-1, HSV-2, both types or neither.

At selected private sexual health clinics, Better2Know also provides instant Herpes testing. With this exclusive, popular Herpes testing option, you will receive your results from 10 minutes after sample collection.

You can also get a Home Sample Collection Kit by visiting our Home STI Tests page.

Why You Should Go To A Sexual Health Clinic

Herpes Simplex Virus

You can see a GP, but they’ll probably refer you to a sexual health clinic if they think you might have genital herpes.

Sexual health clinics treat problems with the genitals and urine system.

Many sexual health clinics offer a walk-in service, where you do not need an appointment.

They’ll often get test results quicker than GP practices and you do not have to pay a prescription fee for treatment.

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Genital Herpes And Pregnancy

Women with herpes before pregnancy can usually expect to have a healthy baby and a vaginal delivery.

If you have genital herpes during pregnancy, there’s a risk your baby could develop a serious illness called neonatal herpes.

This can be fatal, but most babies recover with antiviral treatment.

The risk of your baby getting neonatal herpes is low if you have had genital herpes before.

It’s higher if you get genital herpes for the first time in pregnancy.

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.

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Genital Herpes Treatment In Pregnancy

You may be offered antiviral treatment:

  • to treat outbreaks in pregnancy
  • from 36 weeks to reduce the chance of an outbreak during birth
  • from diagnosis until the birth if you first get herpes after 28 weeks of pregnancy

Many women with genital herpes have a vaginal delivery. You may be offered a caesarean, depending on your circumstances.

What Do The Results Mean

Awaiting my test results, does this appear to be herpes?

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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Treatment If The Blisters Come Back

Go to a GP or sexual health clinic if you have been diagnosed with genital herpes and need treatment for an outbreak.

Antiviral medicine may help shorten an outbreak by 1 or 2 days if you start taking it as soon as symptoms appear.

But outbreaks usually settle by themselves, so you may not need treatment.

Recurrent outbreaks are usually milder than the first episode of genital herpes.

Over time, outbreaks tend to happen less often and be less severe. Some people never have outbreaks.

Some people who have more than 6 outbreaks in a year may benefit from taking antiviral medicine for 6 to 12 months.

If you still have outbreaks of genital herpes during this time, you may be referred to a specialist.

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.

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