Herpes (HSV) Test
Reviewed
Also called: herpes culture, herpes simplex viral culture, HSV-1 antibodies, HSV-2 antibodies, HSV DNA
A herpes test looks for signs of the herpes simplex virus (HSV), a common viral infection.
Specimen: fluid from a sore (swab) or blood (from a vein in your arm)
Why this test may be ordered
- You have symptoms such as blisters or sores on the mouth, genitals, anus, buttocks, or other skin areas; fever and flu-like symptoms; swollen glands; pain or tingling in the affected area; discharge from the urethra or vagina; painful urination.
- Your partner has genital herpes or symptoms that might be genital herpes.
- You are at higher risk of exposure (multiple sexual partners, other STIs, HIV, sex without condoms or dental dams, sex in exchange for money or drugs, or if you are a man who has sex with other men).
- Rare cases of HSV in the brain or spinal cord (encephalitis or meningitis).
- Your baby may have been exposed to HSV during childbirth.
Preparation and collection
You don't need any special preparations for a swab test or a blood test. For a lumbar puncture, you may be asked to empty your bladder (pee) and bowels (poop) before the test.
If you get a swab test, a health care professional will use a swab to collect fluid and cells from a herpes sore that has not begun to heal yet. If you get a blood test, a health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. This usually takes less than five minutes.
After a swab test, you may have a little bit of bleeding or discomfort where your skin was swabbed. This usually doesn't last long. A blood test has very little risk. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.
Understanding results
The meaning of your test results depends on the type of HSV test you had. To understand your results, your provider will consider your health history and any symptoms you have.
- Negative/Normal: Negative/Normal test results mean that signs of the herpes virus were not found in your sample, and you are unlikely to have an HSV infection. Limitation: It's important to know that you can have a negative result when you really do have a herpes infection if you had a blood test for HSV antibodies too soon after an infection began. That's because your body takes up to three months to make HSV antibodies. Next step: To understand your results, your provider will consider your health history and any symptoms you have.
- Positive/Abnormal: Positive/Abnormal test results mean that signs of HSV were found in your sample. Limitation: If you had a blood test that showed you have HSV antibodies, the antibodies could be from an active infection now or a past infection. Next step: If you have HSV, treatment can help reduce the number of outbreaks and control your symptoms.
- A negative blood test result may occur if the test is done too soon after infection, before your body has made antibodies (up to three months).
- A positive blood test result cannot distinguish between a current active infection and a past infection.
- Swab tests may miss the virus if the sore is already healing or if the sample is not collected properly.
- At-home tests require you to collect and send a blood sample; talk with your provider to find out if at-home testing is right for you.
What to do next
So, talk with your provider about HIV testing along with testing for other STIs. Since outbreaks come and go, ask your provider how to know when your risk for spreading the herpes virus may be high. But if you're pregnant and have genital herpes, you can pass the virus to your fetus before birth or during childbirth.
- What type of HSV test did I have (swab from a sore or blood test for antibodies)?
- What do my results mean for my health and for my partner(s)?
- Do I need any follow-up tests (such as HIV testing)?
- How can I reduce the risk of spreading HSV to others?
- What treatments are available to manage outbreaks?
Evidence source
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Practices and reference ranges may differ in your country.