Northwest Obstetrics and Gynecology PLLC
Practicing since 2014
Mon: | 8:30am - 4:30pm |
Tues: | 8:30am - 4:30pm |
Wed: | 8:30am - 4:30pm |
Thurs: | 8:30am - 4:30pm |
Fri: | 8:30am - 2:30pm |
Sat: | Closed |
Sun: | Closed |
Different physicians have different opinions on the usefulness of blood testing for herpes when doing routine screening for sexually transmitted infections, so this is really a question of style/opinion. If you screened every single person, many would show antibodies in their blood indicating a previous exposure to herpes, but no history of an oral or genital lesion or any suspicious symptoms. This gets confusing and creates a lot of anxiety for patients. They begin to wonder "Do I have herpes?", "How did I get it?", "When did I get exposed?". Many times we cannot answer these questions to any degree of certainty. They may have been exposed through non-sexual contact (in the case of HSV 1) and their body cleared it and they never developed any real symptoms of herpes. In my practice I screen patients who have a suspicious history, symptoms concerning for herpes, a known exposure, or an active lesion. I try to get sampling directly from lesions to get the best chance of an accurate diagnosis. That's just my style, it doesn't make it right or the most correct. My recommendation to you is to request your results from the last office that did your screening and specifically ask them "Did you test me for herpes?" so you know for sure what they checked. If you are concerned that you have been exposed and want to specifically be tested, communicate that to your provider so they know why you're concerned. Having an open conversation about it will help you get better care and help your provider make the best decisions for you and keep you safe/healthy.