If you are experiencing some unusual symptoms on or around your genitals, or if you know or suspect you've had intimate contact with someone who is infected with the virus, herpes testing is an incredibly important step you need to take as soon as possible. Herpes testing will allow you to determine with certainty whether you've contracted this very common sexually transmitted disease, and determine an appropriate program of treatment to get the virus under control. If you are experiencing symptoms of herpes, this is the most important first step toward controlling the virus.

The most common genital herpes test you'll encounter is the swab test. This test involves a doctor taking a sample from sores on or around the genitals, and this sample is cultured in a lab to allow any virus present in the sample to multiply in observable conditions, which in turn will allow the doctor to determine if you have genital herpes.

A variation on the swab test is the direct fluorescent antibody test. In this test, the sample is mixed with a solution containing antibodies and a fluorescent dye. If the sample is positive for herpes, the antibodies will become attracted to the cells in the sample, and will glow when viewed under a special microscope.

These swab tests are the most common and most accurate herpes testing methods in recent times. Taking the sample is not painful, and while it is considered to be not too intrusive, it does mean allowing a doctor to be exposed to your genitals.

There are also blood tests available as a genital herpes test, and these can detect genital herpes even when you aren't experiencing symptoms. This test is used less these days, as if you have been infected recently, it can produce a false negative diagnosis. This is because it tests for antibodies which can take weeks or a month to appear in the blood. However, if you feel you may have been infected some time ago, this test may be appropriate for you.