^^ that pretty much.
Ive had genital herpes in the past. Have not had symptoms for a long time. Getting a yearly check-up for all diseases including herpes and wondering what result to expect.
No, and it will not show up in a pcr blood test when it's active either.
A pcr blood test is never advised for routine genital herpes testing, since in healthy people without disseminated hsv disease (rare and very serious), there is no virus in the blood. Herpes is a nerve and skin disease, not a blood-borne disease. Pcr is only recommended for herpes swabs and testing for disseminated or encephalitic herpes, when either of the latter serious complications are suspected.
There are some websites out there, including a few supposedly reputable ones, that irresponsibly recommend pcr blood testing for routine genital herpes, which is just plain wrong.
For routine testing, the best and most readily available test in the absence of symptoms is the IgG antibody test for herpes (not IgM).
I should have clarified, but a pcr test looks specifically for viral dna, hence why a pcr blood test is useless for testing routine genital herpes in healthy, immunocompetent individuals. Antibodies to the virus are present in blood, however, hence the IgG antibody test (not IgM - unreliable for herpes).
I am curious if anyone can explain my confusion. If I have got herpes 1 on my genitals from receiving oral sex, then why don't I have it on my mouth? I also kissed this person for a lot longer than the oral sex lasted. I have never ever had cold sores not even as a child, so why didn't I get it on mouth too? I don't understand how I got it genitally if it prefers the mouth.... It had amply opportunity to infect my mouth too but it chose my genitals????!! I'm baffled....
Oral Type 1 does not always cause symptoms, not even following new infection. You could well have acquired it orally, too, just asymptomatically. I guess the genitals are more sensitive to outbreaks.
But possible it's only genital as well, for whatever reason. Sometimes herpes is rather random!
Thanks for your reply. It really is very random, if you don't get it from someone you can be the carrier and we never know who has it and who just doesn't know! All very mysterious and is enough to put me off sexual contact altogether. Although it's too late now but I don't think I'll ever relax now knowing that I can pass this on in the future.
If you have genital Type 1, the odds of sexual transmission are actually quite low, especially once you have produced sufficient antibodies (usually 4-6 months), plus many people already have oral Type 1 (whether with or without symptoms), which in theory should protect them from acquiring it again elsewhere. Type 2 is different.
Thank you for response, FelixCatus.
If you get a negative result from a IgG antibody test for herpes would that mean that the virus is gone from your body for good?
How do you know if your genital herpes is Type 1 or Type 2? Is there a test to determine it?
Thank you!
Thanks, they did a swab on the lesions and took secondary blood tests to test specifically for herpes 1+2 both came back negative as I said in another chat. I went within 48 hours of them developing, so they had just formed really I suppose, I don't know what to do now as I could possibly still have herpes 1 which is what they think it might be visually, my sores are all healing up now just redish areas remain is there a way to post photos?
Types 1 and 2 look identical, I'm afraid, so unless you only had oral sex recently, it's hard to say which by just looking. You can redo the IgG at 3 months to find out which it is, as you should have antibodies by then, assuming your first diagnosis was correct (that it's herpes). These days, especially amongst younger posters on this forum, Type 1 seems to be more common, though. Did your swab test negative as well, despite having new lesions?
Once you have herpes, it is for life. The types can be distinguished by swab if lesions are present (pcr swab is more sensitive and accurate than a viral culture swab). Without lesions to swab, you can do the herpes IgG antibody test (not IgM - unreliable for herpes), ideally after 3 months from exposure/infection.
Yes the swab tested negative too. The health advisor that gave me the results said that if a swab is taken too late it can be negative even though you have it but mine was taken within 48 hours of symptoms and the sores were new. I think I'll wait the 3 months and go back to my GP for another blood test, just to be sure. I thought hearing negative to both tests would be a relief but I dont feel that way.Thanks for the advice.
Okey will try to find a hospital that does that test. Thank you very much for all the information and advice FelisCatus, much appriciated 
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How are HSV-1 and HSV-2 different in practice? Do they differ in anything in practice - especially during child birth? I tried googling but none of the links I found told me how they differ in practice, if in any way.
If genital herpes is shedding with no symptoms during child birth can it still contract to the baby? Or there has to be sores for the child to be able to get it?
Lesions/sores increase the risk, as they are associated with increased shedding, but shedding without symptoms can also be risky during natural childbirth (and sex with an unaffected partner). It is more of a risk to the baby if the mother contracts herpes in the final trimester, as no immunity may have been passed to the baby in utero and shedding is worse for new infections. The risk can be reduced with daily suppressive antiviral meds or C-section.
There are notable differences between the two herpes types. While they look and progress the same way during an outbreak, Type 2 is known to asymptomatically shed and recur as outbreaks more often, is more infectious as a result, and increases the risk of HIV acquisition (if exposed), even without lesions/sores. Type 2 strongly prefers the genitals. Type 1, though milder and less infectious when contracted genitally, is less choosy as to where else it can infect in those with new, non-established infections or no prior Type 1.
Thank you, very informative. I've had oral herpes outbreaks since I was a child, so that probably means I have at least hsv-1 then? Is it possible to have both hsv-1 and hsv-2 viruses in your body, one in the face area and one in the genitals? I'll go get tested next week for which type(s) I have via the iGg antibody test and wanted to prepare for how to handle the results.
If you have had cold sores as a child, you should test positive for HSV-1 by IgG. It is possible to have both HSV types, yes. In some people, existing HSV-1 can cause an equivocal or low false positive result for HSV-2 by HerpeSelect, which is the main IgG test used in the US. If that happens, don't be alarmed. For definitive results, there's always the western blot via the University of Washington, but that is rather costly. Hopefully you will get a clear negative, so no need to seek further testing.