This test is not routinely recommended, and your doctor may advise to take up this test in certain specific situations.
The detection of anti-HSV IgM in the absence of anti-HSV IgG can be an effective method of detecting early stages of HSV infection and an indicator of primary infection.
If you have symptoms of Herpes [sores, cuts, ulcers, spots, area of redness] then we recommend a swab from the lesion to test for the virus itself [learn more here]. A positive test tells that the lesion is due to Herpes.
Herpes blood test can be of value in certain situations:
When you are pregnant
When someone is pregnant and gets an episode of Herpes, it is important to know if the mother has got IgG antibody against herpes virus. IgG can cross the placenta and go from the mother to the foetus, and protect the baby. This minimizes the risk to the newborn baby getting Herpes infection.
If the mother has had not enough time between getting the infection and normal vaginal delivery, the IgG will not yet have been produced and the protection in the newborn will not be in place to protect itself from the virus being shed in mother’s genital tract. In this situation, a caesarean section is recommended to prevent the baby from getting neonatal Herpes (rather than normal vaginal delivery).
When you are planning to conceive
When your partner is known or suspected to have Herpes, knowing your correct Herpes status can help in reducing unnecessary anxiety or specific measures. Also, treatment can be advised in case of discordance in Herpes status.
When you are planning to have a new relationship
When one of the partner’s known or suspected to have Herpes, knowing the correct status of the partner can help in reducing unnecessary anxiety or specific measures. Also, treatment can be advised in case of discordance of their Herpes status.
When you get symptoms suggestive of Herpes, and swabs have been negative for Herpes.
Eliminating Herpes as a possible cause for genital ulcers, and this points to the non-herpetic causes of ulcers, for example, Behcet’s disease, Crohn’s disease and autoimmune ulcers.
If you are just curious about Herpes exposure
It may be that you just want to know if you have been exposed to Herpes virus in the past. If you want to confirm whether you have had herpes in the past then this test will help you.
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