Herpes is a common infection that can cause sores on or around your mouth or genitals. Once you’re infected, the virus travels to your nerve cells, where it can remain latent in your body or cause occasional outbreaks. Herpes isn’t curable, but you can manage it and reduce the risk of transmission by taking antiviral medications. Learning how to test for herpes will help you protect your sexual health and prevent the spread of the disease.
Understanding Herpes (HSV-1 vs. HSV-2)
When people talk about herpes, they could be referring to oral herpes or genital herpes caused by the herpes simplex viruses HSV-1 and HSV-2.
HSV-1 is usually linked to oral herpes, which causes fever blisters or cold sores on or around your mouth. It’s not traditionally classified as a sexually transmitted infection (STI), but it can still cause genital herpes if you receive oral sex from a person with a cold sore. Still, it’s more common to get oral herpes from non-sexual contact through activities like kissing or sharing drinking glasses or utensils.
HSV-2 is most linked to genital herpes, and it’s classified as an STI. You can catch genital herpes through skin-to-skin sexual contact with an infected person, even if they are symptom-free. A person who gives oral sex to a person who has genital herpes (HSV-2) can also get oral herpes, or HSV-2 mouth lesions, if they are infected.
There is no cure for herpes. The virus hides in nerve cells and evades the immune system, making it hard to target. If you have an outbreak, you can suppress symptoms with prescription medication, but current treatments can’t eliminate the herpes virus from the body.
HSV can cause painful sores and blisters that recur periodically at the site of infection. If you’re immunocompromised, the symptoms can be more severe. It’s also possible, but highly unlikely, for HSV-2 to cause encephalitis (brain infection) or keratitis (eye infection). Pregnant women who have genital herpes can pass the virus onto their babies, which can lead to a life-threatening illness. Getting HSV-2 also makes it three times more likely that you could catch HIV.
When Should You Get Tested?
Herpes can be difficult to diagnose. The lesions can look like pimples or other skin conditions. Herpes tests also have limitations. After exposure, it can take 16 weeks or more for the virus to be detectable. Sometimes, herpes tests generate false positives in people with a low risk of infection.
If you’re sexually active, ask your doctor whether you should get tested for herpes. If your partner has herpes, your doctor can provide specific guidance. If you have lesions, blisters, or sores on your genitals, or if your partner has these symptoms or an HSV-2 diagnosis, you should see a doctor for testing.
Common Testing Methods and What They Detect
Healthcare providers can diagnose herpes when you have an active outbreak by taking a swab test to detect the herpes simplex virus (HSV) or by using a blood test if you’re symptom-free.
If you visit your doctor with genital sores or blisters, they will perform a swab test by using the swab to collect fluid from one of your lesions. From there, they will either grow a viral culture of cells in a laboratory and test it for HSV, or they will use a faster, more accurate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to identify viral genetic material.
If you don’t have herpes symptoms, your doctor can take blood from a vein in your arm. If lab results show HSV antibodies in your sample, you may be infected with herpes.
What Results Mean
Since herpes tests can be less accurate than other STD tests, it’s important to talk to your doctor to understand your test results fully. Usually, a “negative” or “normal” result means that no signs of the herpes virus were detected in your sample, so you probably aren’t infected. If you have a “positive” or “abnormal” test result, this means that your sample contained signs of HSV from an active or a past infection.
Why Regular STI Screening Is Important
STIs like herpes don’t always cause symptoms, so you can catch or spread the disease even when you or your partner appears healthy. Regular STI screening can identify hidden infections, and once you’re diagnosed, a doctor can treat your STIs before they cause serious health problems. Catching and treating STIs early can also help prevent you from spreading them to your sexual partner(s). It can also provide peace of mind about your sexual health and help you make more responsible, informed decisions about your sexual activities.
How Prevention Tools Like PrEP and DoxyPEP Fit Into Sexual Health
Whether you’re exploring your sexuality, engaged in non-monogamous relationships, or getting intimate with a new partner, protecting your sexual health is key to your well-being. Today, medication protocols like PrEP and DoxyPEP can help shield you against HIV and other STIs like syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Although neither of these measures can protect you from herpes, they are still highly effective at reducing the spread of other diseases. PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a highly effective medication that can lessen the risk of contracting HIV from sex by about 99% when used correctly before sexual activity.
Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (DoxyPEP) protects against bacterial STIs when taken within 72 hours after a potential exposure. It can reduce the onset of chlamydia and syphilis infections by over 70% and gonorrhea infections by about 30% to 50%.
Please note: MISTR provides STI testing, PrEP, and DoxyPEP (as a precursor to PrEP). It does not provide herpes testing, diagnosis, or antiviral treatment.
Staying on top of your sexual health means knowing your status and using prevention that works for you. MISTR does not treat or test for herpes but supports overall prevention and makes taking control of your sexual health empowering and stigma-free.
To get PrEP and DoxyPEP, you need a prescription from a primary care doctor or sexual health clinic. With MISTR, you can complete a quick, confidential online consultation and have your medication delivered directly to your door—no waiting rooms, no judgment. Visit today to learn how DoxyPEP helps prevent certain bacterial STIs like chlamydia and syphilis.