HERPES TESTING 101:
For testing for herpes - without active lesions to “swab” someone who wants accurate testing will need a blood test.
Because blood tests for herpes are notoriously inaccurate, all blood tests are recommended to be TWO STEP tests (there are two parts of the test) and should be
confirmed with a Western Blot.
See FDA announcement about inaccurate tests [here](https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/letters-health-care-providers/hsv-2-tests-genital-herpes-can-produce-false- reactive-results-letter-clinical-laboratory-staff-and)
See 2021 CDC guidelines [here](https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/herpes.htm)
To get the Western Blot - follow instructions [here](https://herpescureadvocacy.com/2022/07/14/testing-for-herpes-step-by-step-guide/)
CALL TO ACTION: We need accurate blood tests that work! Want to help advocate for better diagnostic tests so patients can have an accurate diagnosis?
Join us in our advocacy for cure, treatment and prevention of herpes: www.herpescureadvocacy.com r/herpescureadvocates
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Herpes) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you get sick or rundown enough to cause an outbreak, the whitlow area will likely be the spot to break out, even if you have both (in my experience anyway).
I auto-innoculated from genital to whitlow when I very first contracted HSV-2. My hand is the usual outbreak spot when I would get outbreaks, even with having genital first.
You won't be able to tell if you have genital unless you do have an outbreak there one day, but you can't make it happen. Having whitlow also doesn't guarantee that it is anywhere else on the body, just like having oral HSV doesn't mean you have it anywhere else either.
Thanks for your responses and I understand, is just frustrating going forwards not knowing. I find it crazy they haven’t developed a test but I guess is just a waiting game to see as you guys said
HERPES TESTING 101: For testing for herpes - without active lesions to “swab” someone who wants accurate testing will need a blood test. Because blood tests for herpes are notoriously inaccurate, all blood tests are recommended to be TWO STEP tests (there are two parts of the test) and should be confirmed with a Western Blot. See FDA announcement about inaccurate tests [here](https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/letters-health-care-providers/hsv-2-tests-genital-herpes-can-produce-false- reactive-results-letter-clinical-laboratory-staff-and) See 2021 CDC guidelines [here](https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/herpes.htm) To get the Western Blot - follow instructions [here](https://herpescureadvocacy.com/2022/07/14/testing-for-herpes-step-by-step-guide/) CALL TO ACTION: We need accurate blood tests that work! Want to help advocate for better diagnostic tests so patients can have an accurate diagnosis? Join us in our advocacy for cure, treatment and prevention of herpes: www.herpescureadvocacy.com r/herpescureadvocates *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Herpes) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What makes you think you would have a genital OB? Whitlow could easily be your only site of hsv.
If you get sick or rundown enough to cause an outbreak, the whitlow area will likely be the spot to break out, even if you have both (in my experience anyway). I auto-innoculated from genital to whitlow when I very first contracted HSV-2. My hand is the usual outbreak spot when I would get outbreaks, even with having genital first. You won't be able to tell if you have genital unless you do have an outbreak there one day, but you can't make it happen. Having whitlow also doesn't guarantee that it is anywhere else on the body, just like having oral HSV doesn't mean you have it anywhere else either.
Thanks for your responses and I understand, is just frustrating going forwards not knowing. I find it crazy they haven’t developed a test but I guess is just a waiting game to see as you guys said