Herpes Test Kit

What is herpes?

Herpes is a sexually transmitted infection, also known as the herpes simplex virus. Herpes predominantly affects the genitals but can also be found in areas surrounding the anus or mouth, depending on how it is contracted.

There are two strains of herpes: HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 is also known as oral herpes and is responsible for most cold sores but can also cause genital herpes. HSV-2 is the most common cause of genital herpes.

Herpes is a long-term condition that stays in the body and can result in symptoms appearing regularly during one’s life. The virus can also sit dormant inside a person, resulting in them showing little or no signs of the virus but still being able to pass it onto others. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for herpes, only treatment to reduce the symptoms.

Practicing safe sex using barrier methods such as condoms will help to prevent STIs such as herpes. Contraceptive methods such as the contraceptive pill do not protect against sexually transmitted infections. 

What are the symptoms of herpes?

The most common symptom of herpes is blisters appearing in the area of the first infection, such as the mouth, anus, or vagina. HSV stays in the area of transmission, and symptoms can appear internally depending on how the virus is transmitted.

People that catch herpes for the first time may experience symptoms including:
 

• Pain and itching in the infected area
• Red blisters appear in the infected area
• Pain when urinating
• Vaginal discharge (for women)
• Cold sores in the mouth (depending on the method of transmission)
• A fever
• Headache
• A general feeling of being unwell

For more information about genital herpes and to answer any questions you may have, please visit our ‘Genital Herpes: Your Questions Answered’ page. 

What is a herpes test kit?

The herpes STI test kit allows you to test for genital herpes at home, before sending the test to a laboratory for results. If you have had unprotected sex with anyone or had intimate contact with someone who has herpes, it is recommended you get tested immediately.

How do you test for herpes?

Herpes testing can be done as a swab test, blood test, or lumbar puncture. A swab test can be done by a healthcare provider, or by yourself at home. 

The herpes home test kit can detect both HSV-1 and HSV-2, as both strains of the virus can cause genital herpes. It involves the collection of fluid and cells from sores using the swab. The swab is then sent to a laboratory for testing, and the results will be ready in a few days. 

For many people, ordering a herpes home test kit is better than going to a sexual health clinic, offering the convenience and privacy of testing yourself in the comfort of your own home. 

When to test for herpes?

You should consider getting a herpes test if:

• You experience herpes symptoms such as small white blisters or red bumps in the genital area
• Pain in the genital area
• Itching in the genital area
• Ulcers in the genital area
• Sores or blisters around the mouth after you have had oral sex
• You have had unprotected sex
• You have a sex partner who has herpes
• You have multiple sex partners and haven’t been tested recently
• Your sex partner has multiple other sex partners and hasn’t been tested recently

The best time to get tested for herpes is after 12 days, which is the length of the incubation period for the infection. However, if you have had an initial outbreak, you should get tested right away. If you think you have been exposed to herpes, you should stop all sexual activity until you can be diagnosed.

Can you test for herpes without symptoms?

If you think you have been exposed to herpes but do not have symptoms, you should still get tested. In the absence of blisters or sores, you will need to take a blood test, rather than a swab test. For a swab test to be accurate, a sample of cells or fluid must be taken from blisters. 

You can arrange a blood test for herpes at your local sexual health clinic. A blood sample will be taken from a vein in the arm with a small needle. The blood will then be transferred to a vial or test tube for laboratory testing. It is a quick process that takes less than five minutes.

How to test for herpes at home

The first step to testing yourself for herpes is to wash your hands well with soap and water, before completing the paperwork which will be provided with your herpes home test kit. This will usually include an information form (that may already be filled in for you), and a sample label that is found on the packet containing the swab. 

Your herpes home test kit will come with a small bottle that has a swab inside: 

• Take the swab out of the bottle, holding it by the cap, with the swab tip facing towards you
• Apply the tip gently onto an open blister or sore in your genital or mouth area. If you can, try to collect the fluid with the swab
• Lift the scabs which have crusted over and collected from the open base of the lesion
• When you have finished, simply replace the swab sample in the tube and shut the cap tightly
• Put your labeled sample into the prepaid envelope supplied, along with the information forms that you completed earlier
• Post your package to the laboratory

Click on the ‘Instructions’ tab for more information on how to use the herpes test kit.

How long does a herpes test take?

A swab test or blood test for herpes takes just a few minutes. Whereas a lumbar puncture herpes test takes around 30 to 45 minutes. 

With a herpes test kit from Chemist Click, your results will be ready within 3-5 working days after sending your sample. We will contact you with your results via the communication method of your choice; be it a text message, email, or phone call.

Some sexual health clinics can offer a herpes test with same-day results, while others could take up to three weeks to provide results. 

Test results for herpes

If the results of your herpes tests are positive you will may to begin a course of genital herpes treatment. You may wish to visit a sexual health clinic and discuss the next steps with a health professional.

Alternatively, contact your online or high street pharmacy. At Chemist Click, we have a medical team that you can talk to about your next steps after a positive test result, and answer any questions you may have. We can prescribe herpes treatments online, and send them via our discreet courier service. This includes treatments such as aciclovir tablets and valaciclovir tablets. However, because there is no cure for herpes, treatments only diminish and ease the symptoms as well as reduce the number of outbreaks; therefore your symptoms may come and go in the form of flare-ups. You should use treatment at the first sign of an outbreak. If you are experiencing outbreaks on a regular basis, you should discuss the option of taking treatment on a long term basis, which can help to reduce the number of outbreaks you experience. 

It is important to inform any recent sexual partners of your diagnosis so that they can get tested.

While herpes is a lifetime condition, you are most contagious when experiencing an outbreak. You should avoid sexual contact while experiencing an outbreak, and for up to one week after. If you do engage in sexual activity, you should use barrier methods such as condoms or dams to cover the genitals.

For more information on herpes treatments and to find the best medication for you, visit our Best Genital Herpes treatment page.

A negative result suggests that your symptoms are less likely to be due to herpes. However, results may be less accurate if you have not swabbed an area where fluid is visible, or the blisters have dried up and are starting to disappear.

You should visit your GP for an examination to find out the cause of your symptoms. If symptoms return, you should consider getting retested.

Herpes swab test accuracy

You can rely on home herpes tests to provide an accurate result the majority of the time. False positives are rare. They might occur when:

• The results are affected by certain medications
• The samples are compromised
• The instructions that come with a home test kit have not been carried out correctly

Can you test negative for herpes and still have it?

If your herpes test result was negative but you are still experiencing symptoms, you might have taken the test too early. 

There is also a chance that you have another condition that mimics the symptoms of herpes, such as syphilis or genital warts (Human papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV). There is also a very small possibility of a false-positive result. If you have tested positive for herpes but don’t think you have it, you should do another test. 

Can I buy over the counter herpes test kits?

Herpes test kits can be bought over the counter in the UK, from both online and high street pharmacies. You can order a herpes test kit online from Chemist Click, which we’ll send to you via our express, next day delivery service in discreet packaging.

We also provide a range of other STI test kits through our online pharmacy, such as:

• Chlamydia Test Kit
• Chlamydia & Gonorrhoea Test Kit

If you think you have herpes or are experiencing symptoms, order a home test kit from Chemist Click today.