Genital herpes

Why is herpes not in the standard screen?

Asked at my last appointment and was told it is not routinely tested. That seems like a strange omission for a sexual health service.

grey_morning 5 months ago

NoteMember experience, not medical advice. Symptoms overlap between infections and only a test can tell them apart.

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far_field 5 months ago

It is deliberate. Blood testing people without symptoms produces a lot of results that are hard to interpret, including borderline positives that turn out to be wrong, and it rarely changes what anyone does.

Several guidelines specifically advise against it as routine screening for that reason.

ninth_street 5 months ago

Swab testing is different. If you have something visible, that is tested readily and it is the more informative test by a distance. The reluctance is specifically about blood testing asymptomatic people.

blue_hour 5 months ago

If there is a specific reason you want to know, say what it is. A partner with a diagnosis, or planning a pregnancy, are situations where testing is more often agreed to.

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