HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients
Book a video visit
HealthTap
Telehealth
A member asked:

How reliable are genital herpes blood tests vs cultures?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

Active vs past: Blood tests can detect exposure to the herpes virus but do not tell if there is active infection. Molecular testing of the affected cells/tissue is more practical than culture for ascertaining active infection.

Answered 9/28/2018

5.8k views

Thank

Related Questions

A member asked:

Will genital herpes show up on a blood test required to get married?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

A member asked:

How long would it take genital herpes after oral sex to show up on a blood test?

2 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

A member asked:

If i tested positive for genital herpes blood test when I am asymptomatic is it conclusive?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

A member asked:

I was recently diagnosed with genital herpes through a blood test. Is it possible that i contracted it orally and only had one breakout in 3 years?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

A member asked:

Is there a blood test which tests for genital herpes? Im pregnant and need to know.

A doctor has provided 1 answer

Sponsored Content
HealthTap Medical Group does not endorse products or services. Sponsored content revenues support our mission to make health information free and accessible to all.Learn more

People also searched for:

Is there a way to tell when i was infected with genital herpes. I received positive test results today from a herpes swab culture. I had a blood test back in june that came back negative. I have been with the same sexual partner since november of 2009. On
Hsv2 blood test at 7 wks-neg. Hsv.1 and 2 blood test at 15 wks.-both neg. I had some symptoms of it such as red bumps and itchiness in genital area. Are these results reliable? Do i not have herpes?
Can a blood test be determined if a man has genital herpes?
Is 7 weeks after exposure enough time to get an accurate genital herpes blood test done?
How could i get tested for genital herpes and herpes isn't there a blood test and if so is it always correct?

Telemedicine

Primary Care
Manage Your Conditions
Women's Health
Children's Health
Men's Health
Senior Health
Wellness, Prevention & Lifestyle
Sexual Health
Mental & Behavioral Health
Travel Medicine
Urgent Care
Ask your question
Didn't find what you're looking for?

90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more.

Ask your question

More of what we treat

Allergies
Antibiotics
Asthma
High Blood Pressure
Prescriptions
Type 2 Diabetes
Content on HealthTap (including answers) should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and interactions on HealthTap do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap. Call your doctor or 911 if you think you may have a medical emergency.
HealthTap
HIPAA logo
HIPAASecure
Soc 2 Type 2 logo
SOC 2 Type 2Certified
JCAHO Accredited
JCAHOAccredited
Member App

Download HealthTap

Video visit and message your doctor

Member App QR Code
Play Store Member LinkApp Store Member Link

Questions?

+1 (888) 828-0841support@healthtap.com
LinkedInTwitter
HomeTermsPrivacyCookiesDMCAHealth TopicsDoctors DirectoryDoctor Q&A by Specialty
Copyright 2026 HealthTap, Inc.