Of the three primary tests for herpes in men that are typically given by health care providers, the blood test produces the highest rate of accurate diagnoses. With a success rate of 97%, blood tests are capable of delivering the correct diagnosis regardless of whether or not the patient has experience an outbreak, and even in those cases where no symptoms at all have been detected.
Blood Tests for Herpes in Men vs. The Other Tests
The biggest difference between blood tests for herpes in men, and the other two main types of testing (the polymerase chain reaction test, and viral culture swabs) is that blood tests look for antibodies against the virus, while the other tests look for the virus itself. While this may make the blood test sound counter-intuitive to the goal of identifying a viral infection, consider the fact that the amount of HSV-1 and HSV-2 virus found in sores can vary greatly, or even be completely absent from sores that have already begun to heal.
While locating antibodies against the herpes virus is a more accurate method of testing for herpes in men, it fails in one critical area where both PCR tests and viral culture swabs succeed - differentiating between HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections. Nonetheless, its dramatically higher accuracy in identifying infection makes this an acceptable trade-off for most patients since, if you're infected with herpes, the blood test will leave no doubt.
Taking A Blood Test - What Should I Expect?
Once your body has recognized that it is infected with the herpes virus, it usually takes a couple of months for high levels of antibodies to develop in the bloodstream. For this reason, many doctors are hesitant to administer blood tests as their primary means of identifying cases of herpes in men, and the majority won't even consider it unless 12 weeks have passed since the patient believes he became infected. Therefore, expect to have a discussion with your physician which includes your insistence on taking a blood test.
The blood test for herpes in men is just like any other blood test you've probably taken during your life. You'll sit down with a nurse, who will draw the sample through a needle, and then send it to the lab. After the laboratory has completed its testing (usually somewhere between a couple of days to a couple of weeks later), you'll be notified by your doctor's office at which point you'll be able to discuss the next step - if any are required.
Blood Tests for Herpes in Men vs. The Other Tests
The biggest difference between blood tests for herpes in men, and the other two main types of testing (the polymerase chain reaction test, and viral culture swabs) is that blood tests look for antibodies against the virus, while the other tests look for the virus itself. While this may make the blood test sound counter-intuitive to the goal of identifying a viral infection, consider the fact that the amount of HSV-1 and HSV-2 virus found in sores can vary greatly, or even be completely absent from sores that have already begun to heal.
While locating antibodies against the herpes virus is a more accurate method of testing for herpes in men, it fails in one critical area where both PCR tests and viral culture swabs succeed - differentiating between HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections. Nonetheless, its dramatically higher accuracy in identifying infection makes this an acceptable trade-off for most patients since, if you're infected with herpes, the blood test will leave no doubt.
Taking A Blood Test - What Should I Expect?
Once your body has recognized that it is infected with the herpes virus, it usually takes a couple of months for high levels of antibodies to develop in the bloodstream. For this reason, many doctors are hesitant to administer blood tests as their primary means of identifying cases of herpes in men, and the majority won't even consider it unless 12 weeks have passed since the patient believes he became infected. Therefore, expect to have a discussion with your physician which includes your insistence on taking a blood test.
The blood test for herpes in men is just like any other blood test you've probably taken during your life. You'll sit down with a nurse, who will draw the sample through a needle, and then send it to the lab. After the laboratory has completed its testing (usually somewhere between a couple of days to a couple of weeks later), you'll be notified by your doctor's office at which point you'll be able to discuss the next step - if any are required.
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