How To Test For Herpes?
The Genital herpes is quite common these days. This is a sexually transmitted disease that ca be transferred from a person to person. Many people do not know about its early symptoms and moreover they don’t notice it on the body. They get infected even without knowing about it. They supposed the symptoms as it is of something else. You need to perform the specific tests in order to find out the actual picture that whether you are having genital herpes or not. We are going to discuss about the tests in this blog post.
If you have sores in the mouth or on the genitals then perform the following tests from the health care providers to figure out that you have this disease or not.
The tests for the genital herpes include the following:
1. PCR Blood test: This test is most accurate test to diagnose this deadly disease. The PCR blood test will let you know about the genital herpes without having any symptoms and signs. The pieces of virus’s DNA are taken in this PCR test. It is preferred over the other tests because of authentic results.
2. Cell culture: In this test the samples of a cell from the sore area is taken and the health care provider examine the cells for herpes simplex virus with the help of microscope.
The result of both these tests may be not proper or false if the test sample is taken from the healing sores. They patients who are recently infected with this disease may encounter problem in the test reports. The herpes simplex virus takes more than a week to properly indulge in the blood. False-negative results are shown during the period before it. If the report is positive and you are having less chances of getting virus, then it would be better to test it again.
PCR and cell culture test will give you the unclear picture about its actual occurrence. You will come to know its exposure but you will not able to detect that when will it occur. There might be possibility that may be you are infected with this virus from so many years before noticing it. The unnoticed symptoms may sometimes lead to transfer of HSV infection in the sexual partner during the intercourse.
Other genital herpes tests:
Tests like antibody tests are also performed to treat the genital herpes. The proteins induced in the body immune system due to the presence of infection are called as antibody. A mixture of fluorescent dye and HSV antibodies are mixed with the sample of cells. If the report is positive then the antibodies will stick to the solution and sparkles when seen through the microscope.
Moreover, antibodies will help to identify the type of virus a person is infected with: whether HSV1 or HSV2. This is important to know that if you are infected with HSV1 then you will have cold sores around the mouth and on the lips and if you are having HSV2 virus then the sores will appear around the genitals. The information through the test is highly important and necessary. The HSV2 generally passes onto partner during the vaginal or anal sex.
Sadly, this test is done through blood sample and it tells about its exposure only .you will not able to get the knowledge of specific outbreak with this test even.
The HSV can be detected through saliva, urine and tears too. The test for the following can be performed from any laboratory. Before going to consult the doctor, you must know the history of your infection and most asked questions that doctor can ask you and vice versa. Be prepared with 10 questions that you have to ask from your consultant.
