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A member asked:
Can you get a false positive herpes test if it's by swob? should you get a blood test to know for a fact? and can folliculitis be mistaken for herpes?
A doctor has provided 1 answer
False pos very rare: False positive tests for herpes simplex virus (HSV) (culture or PCR) are extremely rare and you probably don't need a blood test. However, a blood test still may be useful, e.g. to help tell new herpes from a recurrent outbreak, or if for some reason the virus type (HSV1 or 2) wasn't determined from the swab test. Folliculitis and herpes can be confused, but rarely by an experienced clinician.
Answered 1/2/2016
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Related Questions
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If I had a positive IgG herpes blood test but never had Symptoms Why would the doctor tell me it is probably a false positive? Did he cross reference?
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