Diagnostic Tests for Genital herpes

Tests and diagnosis discussion for Genital herpes: The signs and symptoms associated with HSV-2 can vary greatly. Health care providers can diagnose genital herpes by visual inspection if the outbreak is typical, and by taking a sample from the sore(s). HSV infections can be difficult to diagnose between outbreaks. Blood tests which detect HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection may be helpful, although the results are not always clear cut. ¹

Because the genital herpes sores may not be visible to the naked eye, a doctor or other health care worker may have to do several laboratory tests to try to prove that any other symptoms are caused by the herpes virus. A person may still have genital herpes, however, even if the laboratory tests don’t show the virus in the body.

A blood test cannot show whether a person can infect another person with the herpes virus. A blood test, however, can show if a person has been infected at any time with HSV. There are also newer blood tests that can tell whether a person has been infected with HSV 1 and/or 2. ²

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Genital Herpes: DSTD
2. excerpt from Genital Herpes, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID

Last revision: April 11, 2003

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