Screening for Genital Herpes

June 10, 2008 - 7:30am

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Screening for Genital Herpes

The purpose of screening is early diagnosis and treatment. Screening tests are usually administered to people without current symptoms, but who may be at high risk for certain diseases or conditions.

Screening Guidelines

There are no screening guidelines for ]]>genital herpes]]> .

Anyone is able to contract genital herpes after unprotected sexual contact with someone who is infected with the virus that causes genital herpes. The test for genital herpes only lets you know whether or not you are infected with HSV-1 or HSV-2, the viruses that can cause genital herpes. These tests are not very useful for screening purposes.

Because there is a risk to a newborn if the mother has active herpes at the time of delivery, lab tests have been developed for testing herpes virus—with results available in two hours. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening of pregnant women if they have symptoms.

References:

DynaMed editorial team. Herpes genitalis. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php . Updated July 13, 2010. Accessed July 29, 2010.

Gardella C, Huang ML, Wald A, et al. Rapid polymerase chain reaction assay to detect herpes simplex virus in the genital tract of women in labor. Obstet Gynecol. 2010;115(6):1209-1216.

Screening for genital herpes: recommendation statement. US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) website. Available at: http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?view_id=1&doc_id=6494 . Accessed July 25, 2005.

Last reviewed September 2010 by ]]>Lawrence Frisch, MD, MPH]]>

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.