Genital Herpes Testing

What are you waiting for? This page can be your own personal cliff notes and cheat sheet to proper herpes testing! Pick up your telephone and start asking questions today!

There are four highly accurate type specific antibody tests currently available: biokit HSV-2 Rapid Test, HerpeSelect, CAPITA HSV IgG Type Specific ELISAs and the Herpes Specific Western Blot which is primarily used for herpes research purposes.

The next time somebody tells you that they have been tested you might want to think twice about that because herpes is NOT included in the routine STD testing process! When you love somebody it's ok to make a date to go and get tested together. It's not a bad idea to know what you are dealing with from both sides of the relationship.

Sometimes I think that people that have herpes forget that their health is still just as important as their partner's health. If you are bold enough to get nude then you can be bold and brave enough to talk about STD's BEFORE you have sex, right?

Biokit HSV-2 Rapid Test

• Manufactured by biokit USA
• Also available from Fisher HealthCare as Sure-Vue HSV-2 Rapid Test
• FDA-approved for commercial use in 1999
• Detect antibodies to HSV-2 only (will not identify HSV-1)
• Blood collected by a finger-prick or from a vein
• Results available in 10 minutes or less
• Formerly manufactured by Diagnology under the name POCkit
• For more information please visit: biokit.com (800) 926-3353 and fishersci.com (800) 766-7000

CAPTIA HSV IgG Type Specific ELISAs

• Manufactured by Trinity Biotech
• FDA approved for commercial use in 2004
• Can detect HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies
• Blood is drawn and sent to laboratory for processing
• Results take 1 to 2 weeks
• For more information please visit: trinitybiotech.com (800) 325-3424

HerpeSelect (ELISA and Immunoblot Kits)

• Manufactured by Focus Diagnostics, Inc.
• FDA approved for commercial use in 2000
• Two antibody detection methods available (immunoblot or ELISA)
• Can detect HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies
• Blood drawn and sent to laboratory for processing
• Results take 1 to 2 weeks
• For more information please visit: herpeselect.com (800) 445-4032

The Herpes Specific Western Blot test is a blood test that is used for herpes research at the University of Washington in Washington State.

However, it is possible to have a Herpes Specific Western Blot test done in order to find out if you have type-1, type-2, both or nothing at all. Your health care provider can make arrangements with the lab at the University of Washington to have this test done for you.

Reference Test: Western blot. To get a Western blot directly from the UW laboratory, have your provider call the 800-713-5198. The UW laboratory personnel will send out special forms and a special mailing tube. The forms must be completed including billing information. When this material arrives in the healthcare provider's office, have your blood drawn and processed so that the serum can be sent to Seale. It can be mailed in a special pack. Once the serum arrives in the laboratory, Western blot takes about 4-5 days. About 1 in 5 samples requires further testing, which requires an additional 5-7 days. The test results must go to a healthcare provider. The results will be mailed or faxed back to your provider. When it comes to deciphering your test results THAT is who you should be talking to.

The antiviral medication valacyclovir, when taken suppressively, has been shown to reduce the risk of transmission.

In a 2004 study among persons with a history of recurrent genital herpes, taking valacyclovir daily reduced the risk of transmission to a partner by 50%. Accordingly, the FDA has now approved valacyclovir for this indication.

Questions that may have led you to this page:

• How can I get an accurate herpes blood test?
• What is herpes?
• How do you get herpes infections?
• How is herpes transmitted to others?
• What treatments are available for herpes?
• What about herpes and pregnancy?

Do NOT go for HSV IgM Testing - This was written up by another healthcare provider that had much to say about why you shouldn't have HSV IGM testing done.

Let's talk about Herpes Testing! - Don't forget to vote!

I hope that you find this page helpful. Whatever you do talk to YOUR healthcare provider if you would like to have these tests done. The more providers that know about these tests the beer chances we have of spreading the word on getting herpes to be included in routine std testing. Based on my own personal experiences I would like to suggest that you discuss YOUR test results with YOUR healthcare provider. It's not a really swift idea to have these tests done and then repost the result findings to be re-deciphered by a professional healthcare personality. DO discuss your results with YOUR doctor and don't be afraid to ask questions. If you get home OR hang up the phone to find out that you forgot to ask them a question then write it down and call them back. If you are dealing directly with a laboratory then call THEM back and find out who you can discuss your test results with over the phone OR in person. Contrary to popular beliefs out there these tests are NOT perfect. Keep that in mind when you are trying to find out what's going on.

Copyright 2003-2008 Yoshi2me.com