Home
/
NowPatient Blog
/
Getting tested for genital herpes

Getting tested for genital herpes

Stefano Mirabello NowPatientGreen tick
Created on 4 Sep 2023
Updated on 16 Jul 2024

Genital herpes. Wow. Sounds scary doesn’t it.

Truth is, it doesn’t have to be. Herpes infections are very common and genital herpes probably sounds worse than it really is. But you should still take it seriously. To make sure you know exactly what you could be dealing with here we’ll run through what it is, how to test for genital herpes and we’ll even give you some advice on how to live with it.

What is genital herpes and what does genital herpes look like?

Genital herpes is an infection caused by a herpes simplex virus (HSV). The virus infects your skin and can do so on different parts of your body. When it does so on and around your genitals, it’s called genital herpes.

Most of the time the virus lies dormant in your body. But every now and again it activates and causes an outbreak of genital herpes symptoms like:

  • Blisters on the skin on and around your genitals and on your anus and buttocks. The blisters can burst to become open sores that leak fluid
  • Tingling, itching or burning around the infected skin
  • Pain when you pee
  • Flu-like symptoms (usually only the first time you have an outbreak)

Genital herpes is caught by coming into skin-to-skin contact with someone who has the infection. This happens most often through sex. That means that genital herpes is classed as a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Herpes infections are widespread and common. It’s thought that half a billion people worldwide under the age of 50 are infected by the herpes viruses that cause genital herpes.

Who should get tested for genital herpes?

You should get tested if you have any genital herpes symptoms, particularly the blisters and sores. You need to understand what’s causing these sores. If they are genital herpes or something else. Make sure you still get tested even if you haven’t had sex for a while, as it can take months or even years for symptoms to emerge after you’ve been infected by a herpes virus.

What if you’d had sex with someone with genital herpes, but you don’t have any symptoms?

You only need to get tested if you have symptoms. Most people who have an HSV infection never show any symptoms. You may have caught a herpes virus from a sexual partner and have the virus living inside you, but if you don’t have symptoms you don’t need to get tested.

This might sound a bit weird, but there are two reasons why. One, most tests for genital herpes can only be done if you have symptoms. Two, there’s no cure for genital herpes and no treatments for people who don’t have symptoms. You can get effective genital herpes treatments that can reduce how often you have outbreaks and how serious they are, but they’re only useful if you have symptoms.

Where should I go to get tested for genital herpes?

Your healthcare provider will be able to carry out tests for genital herpes. You should see your healthcare provider if you are experiencing the symptoms of an initial outbreak.

How do you test for genital herpes?

A common test for genital herpes is a viral culture test. Your doctor will use a cotton swab to take a sample of the fluid from one or more of your blisters. This swab is then tested for the presence of a herpes virus.

The doctor will also ask about other symptoms you’ve had and about your sexual history. Remember that everything you say will be confidential, so always be honest.

How long you’ll have to wait for your results can vary. Genital herpes test results times can differ by clinic, but it usually takes between a week and two weeks, your doctor can advise you on this.

Are there other genital herpes tests?

You can also get a blood test for herpes, which checks for the antibodies that your body produces in response to a herpes infection. These aren’t strictly genital herpes blood tests, as they can tell you if you have a herpes infection but can’t tell you where you have it. Without an outbreak of blisters you won’t know if you have genital herpes or an infection somewhere else, like oral herpes (cold sores).

How accurate is a herpes blood test?

Any test can give inaccurate results, either a false positive (the test says you have herpes when you don’t) or a false negative (the test says you don’t have herpes when you do). The accuracy of herpes blood tests is generally above 90%. A blood test can’t tell you what type of herpes you have though (i.e. genital herpes or oral herpes), just that you have herpes or not.

What can be mistaken for herpes?

There are other conditions that can be mistaken for herpes, particularly those that give you spots, blisters or other skin lesions. These can include contact dermatitis, scabies or even ingrown hairs that cause spots and infections. If you think you have genital herpes or if you have anything that looks like a blister down there you should get yourself tested to find out for sure.

Would I know if I had herpes?

Not necessarily. Plenty of people get a herpes infection but never have any outbreaks of symptoms. You may have a herpes infection and not know about it.

How is genital herpes treated?

As we mentioned genital herpes can’t be cured. If you have a HSV infection it’s with you for life. But there are actions you can take to help you deal with the symptoms when you have an outbreak, like:

  • Wearing loose comfortable clothing
  • Taking pain killers if you have pain
  • Applying an ice pack wrapped in a cloth to help soothe pain
  • Keeping the affected area clean and washing with salt water to reduce the chances of blisters becoming infected
  • Applying Vaseline to the blisters to help them heal and to reduce any pain
  • Pouring water over your genitals when you pee to ease pain

Whilst the above can help, if you want to treat the symptoms of genital herpes more effectively you can try a prescription medication like valacyclovir.

Valacyclovir genital herpes medication

Valacyclovir (same active ingredient as Valtrex) is a prescription antiviral medication that can be taken to treat genital herpes outbreaks. It’s taken as a pill, usually twice per day. If you take it when you see the first signs of an outbreak it can shorten it or even stop it completely.

How to live with genital herpes?

Herpes infections don’t cause any serious health problems in healthy adults. Most of the time the herpes virus lies dormant. You won’t have any symptoms and you can live your life as usual, with just a few changes. When you have an outbreak of symptoms you should treat them in whatever way works for you. Try not to touch the affected skin if you don’t have to and wash your hands often to avoid spreading the virus on your fingers.

Sex and genital herpes

You shouldn’t have any kind of sexual contact when you have an outbreak, as this is when you’re most contagious. Any skin-to-skin contact could transmit the virus to a partner. You can even transmit it through oral sex and by any form of touching if you get the virus on your fingers.

When you don’t have an outbreak you should use a condom and an oral dam when you have sex. It’s unlikely you’ll pass the virus by skin-to-skin contact when you don’t have an outbreak, but there is a chance you can pass it through your bodily fluids, like saliva and semen.

For more tips and advice check out our post on living with genital herpes.

The bottom line

If you think you have genital herpes and if you have symptoms, speak to your healthcare provider about getting tested.

Remember that if you do have genital herpes you’re not alone, as it’s more common than you think. You can also treat outbreaks of genital herpes with valacyclovir and you can go about your usual daily life with only a few adjustments.

Sources

Medical Disclaimer

NowPatient has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that all material is factually accurate, complete, and current. However, the knowledge and experience of a qualified healthcare professional should always be sought after instead of using the information on this page. Before taking any drug, you should always speak to your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider.

The information provided here about medications is subject to change and is not meant to include all uses, precautions, warnings, directions, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or negative effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a particular medication does not imply that the medication or medication combination is appropriate for all patients or for all possible purposes.

Now Patient Data Security

Data Security

Trusted and certified to keep your data safe.

Learn moreNow Patient Data SecurityNow Patient Data Security

WHY WE BUILT NOWPATIENT

We are committed to helping everyone, everywhere live healthier lives

The NowPatient virtual care platform provides you with access to trusted health information, affordable treatments, management of chronic health conditions and continuous monitoring for health risks. NowPatient can be accessed by downloading the App or using your web browser.

Download our app today

NowPatient dashboard

Your Questions Answered

For your peace of mind, we can answer your questions quickly

What does NowPatient do?

NowPatient is an online pharmacy & telehealth service that is available in the US and UK. Our service is FREE and packed with useful features that can help you save money on the cost of your medications, access virtual treatments, and provide tools that can help improve your overall health.

Get started today and benefit from medication remindersGet Treated PrivatelyNHS online pharmacyGP appointment bookingRx savings cardDrug CouponsUS drug savings programshealth conditions informationgenetic testinghome test kitsBMI RisksType 2 Diabetes Riskspollen meterair quality monitor, and lots more!

Our service is operated by experienced medical professionals in the United States and the United Kingdom. You can view the online services that we provide by clicking Features.

UK users can safely and securely buy medicines online that treat a wide range of medical conditions. UK customers can also order NHS prescriptions online with the benefit of free tracked delivery.

US customers, regardless of insurance coverage, can enjoy huge savings on prescription medications using our various drug savings programs including drug coupons, savings card and manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.

Where is NowPatient located?

NowPatient has offices in the United Kingdom and United States.

In the UK, we are located at:

NowPatient
28 Chipstead Valley Road
Coulsdon
Surrey
CR52RA

In the US, we are located at:

NowPatient
8911 North Capital of Texas Highway
Suite 4200 #1263
78759
Austin, TX

How can I contact NowPatient?

To contact NowPatient, please use the contact form available on the Contact Us page.

Alternatively, if you need to speak to us, you can reach us on the following numbers:

UK telephone number – 020 388 51 500
US telephone number – 1-866-967-1977

Who owns NowPatient?

NowPatient is owned and operated by Infohealth Ltd, a licensed online pharmacy with services spanning the UK, US and Rest of the World. Infohealth Ltd is registered in England and Wales under company number 04004930 and our registered office is at Lynwood House, 373 – 375 Station Road, Harrow, England, HA1 2AW.

Our website is www.nowpatient.com. Our App is called “NowPatient” and can be downloaded from the App Store (for Apple devices) or Google Play (for Android devices).

Can you tell me more about your NHS online pharmacy?

NowPatient’s Pharmaceutical services in the UK are provided by Infohealth Limited trading as ‘Infohealth Pharmacy’.

Our dispensing pharmacy is regulated and authorized for internet sales by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), registration number 1036487. You can view our license credentials on the General Pharmaceutical Council website. Our superintendent pharmacist who is responsible for the safe and effective oversight of medicines supplies is Mr Amish Patel (Registration Number 2042705).

Medicines are not ordinary items of commerce. All medicines or healthcare product sales are made under the supervision of a registered pharmacist who is licensed by the GPhC. At all times, we endeavour to provide a professional and transparent service whose primary goal is to ensure that the best interests of the patient are served.

How do I make a complaint?

From time to time, we accept that our service levels may not be up to your expectations. NowPatient welcomes concerns, compliments and complaints as valuable feedback that will help us learn from your experiences and make improvements. Feedback can be provided via our clear and transparent Complaints Procedures.

Can you tell me more about NowPatient’s prescribing services for treatments offered?

Our prescribing services are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). We provide the following regulated activity:

• treatment of disease, disorder, or injury
• transport services, triage, and medical advice are provided remotely
• caring for adults over 65 years old
• caring for adults under 65 years old

NowPatient prescribing services are run by Infohealth Limited. The Clinical Safety Officer and nominated individual is Mr Navin Khosla.

Can you tell me more about NowPatient’s US services?

Our head of US services is Dr. Jamie Winn.

You can lower the cost of your prescription medications using our various savings programs which include drug coupons, savings card and manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.

We do not provide any prescribing services or dispensing services in the United States.

Is NowPatient legit and can I trust information from NowPatient?

Yes. NowPatient provides trustworthy and accessible clinical, health education and prescription services. We are also trusted by the NHS to deliver clinical and NHS repeat prescription dispensing across the whole of England. In the United States, we work with over 65,000 pharmacies to deliver considerable costs savings for our users.

NowPatient is operated by experienced licensed medical professionals in the United Kingdom and United States. Our Medical Team can be found here.

Our service is trusted by thousands of patients worldwide. You can read their reviews on our Trustpilot:

NowPatient Trustpilot

What are NowPatient’s opening hours?

Our office hours are:

UK – Monday-Friday 9am-6pm GMT
US – Monday-Friday 8am-5pm EST

Please note that we are closed at weekends.

In the event of a medical life-threatening emergency please call:

UK – 999
US – 911

In the event of a medical emergency which is not life-threatening please call:

UK – 111

Find more answers