Genital Herpes Test Kits

A genital herpes test kit allows you to perform your own test for genital herpes at home before sending your test sample to our partner lab. The lab will then test your sample and the results are then sent back to you. Taking your sample is easy, it’s a simple swab and the kit comes with instructions on how to use the swab correctly.

If you order your test kit from Asda Online Doctor, your results will be displayed securely and privately in your patient account along with expert advice from one of our doctors on what you need to do next.

Is it worth getting tested for herpes?

If you think you might be at risk of having caught genital herpes, it’s important to get tested. Swab tests can only be carried out if you currently have herpes sores. If you have not had sores, or the sores have already healed, the test will not be accurate.

If you have genital sores, it’s worth getting tested for herpes so that you know you have it and can avoid passing it on to other people. It also means that if you do have herpes symptoms, you know what they are and you can get treatment for them.

What are the symptoms of genital herpes?

Most people with herpes don’t have symptoms most of the time. The herpes virus can stay inside your body for long periods of time without causing an outbreak of symptoms.

If you do get an outbreak of genital herpes symptoms, the symptoms usually include:

• blisters around the genital area (the main symptom)
• feeling like you have a flu
• muscle aches
• vaginal discharge
• pain on the inside of the vagina or on the head of the penis
• finding it difficult to pee or having pain when you do pee

Male genital herpes symptoms and genital herpes symptoms in women are not that different. The sores that appear on the genitals are similar whether you have a penis or a vagina.

Can you test for herpes without symptoms?

“You don’t need to wait until you see blisters around your genital area before doing a test for herpes. If you think you might be at risk of having caught herpes, you can test for it before you get an outbreak of symptoms. You do need to wait at least 12 days after you think you may have been infected to test, unless you get symptoms before then. This is because the infection won’t show up on the test otherwise” – Dr Kathryn Basford.

Asda Online Doctor only offers test kits for people who currently have genital herpes sores because the test kit involves swabbing a sore to take the test sample.

Genital herpes was the fourth most commonly diagnosed STI in 2022. 6.4% of all STIs diagnosed in the UK in 2022 were genital herpes. Because genital herpes is in the top 4 for all STIs in the UK, it is worth taking seriously if you think you might have been exposed to the infection or you have symptoms.

Testing for herpes with Asda is simple. Order a test kit and it will be delivered to your door. Take the test yourself and send off your sample to the lab. Once the results are ready they will be displayed in your patient account.

Our service provides:

• quick and easy self-testing
• discreet and secure results
• comprehensive doctor advice included

Our genital herpes screening service is reliable and can give you a doctor’s genital herpes diagnosis if your test is positive.

How to buy herpes home test kit online?

You can’t do an online herpes test, you need to carry out a physical test at home and send a sample off to a lab for testing. You can buy herpes test kits online easily using an online doctor service like Asda’s.

Ordering a herpes test kit online is easy:

• fill out a short online questionnaire
• place the order for your test kit
• your kit is sent to your door

➤ Start an assessment for a herpes test kit

There are 2 kinds of test kits for herpes, one for genital herpes and one for oral herpes (cold sores).

Both our oral and genital at home genital herpes test kits are swab tests. This means you use a cotton swab on one of your sores to get a sample for testing. These are not blood test kits so you won’t need to take a blood sample.

Our test kits test for both HSV viruses 1 and 2 which can cause genital herpes. These test kits are for both HSV-1 tests and HSV-2 tests, so you only need to order one.

What is the most accurate test for herpes?

Herpes simplex virus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are the most accurate. They show which herpes strain a patient has (HSV-1 or HSV-2) and they have a low chance of false negative results.

PRC HSV tests are the ones performed by the lab that process Asda Online Doctor test kit samples. They are 98% to 99% accurate.

Genital herpes test kits come with all the equipment you need to take a swab sample from one of your herpes sores. You take a swab of one of your sores which will collect genetic information from the herpes virus causing the sores.

Take your sample by:

1. opening your sample container
2. brushing the cotton end of the swab against one of your sores
3. placing the swab inside the sample container
4. closing the sample container tightly
5. posting the sample to the lab using the prepaid envelope provided

The swab is tested to see whether the herpes virus genetic information is present. If it is then it means the sores are being caused by a herpes outbreak.

For more information about using your test kit, see these instructions.

How long does it take for herpes to show up after exposure?

It usually takes 2 to 12 days for herpes to cause an outbreak after you’re first infected and the average is around 4 days. But, it can take years for you to get your first outbreak after you’re infected.

Still, you can take a herpes blood test from 12 days after you think you might have been infected, even if you don’t have symptoms.

If you have sores on your genitals and you’ve had sex before, it’s possible they are caused by the herpes virus and you can take a swab test right away. You don’t have to have had sex recently since genital herpes symptoms can take years to show up.

If you don’t have sores on your genitals but you’ve had unprotected sex with someone who has had genital herpes before, you can take a blood test from 12 days after you might have been infected.

What does genital herpes look like on males?

The main symptom of a genital herpes outbreak is sores. These appear on the penis and can look red or white and can look like bumps or blisters or scabs. They can appear on and around the penis, including on the urethra (pee hole).

The sores can also appear on the scrotum (ball sack) and can also spread to the anus and buttocks.

You don’t need a special male herpes test kit. Genital herpes test kits can be used regardless of gender.

What does genital herpes look like on women?

Herpes on the vagina looks like red or white bumps, blisters or scabs. These symptoms can appear on the vulva (lips), the vagina itself (the inside), the cervix (the entrance to the womb) and the clitoris.

The herpes infection can also spread to the anus and buttocks as well.

Just like with men, there is no need for special female herpes test kits for women. A standard test kit works for anyone.

If you order a test kit online from Asda Online Doctor, it takes 2 to 3 days for your herpes test results to appear in your patient account after your sample arrives at our lab.

If you get tested at a sexual health clinic in the UK it can take 1 to 2 weeks for you to get your results back. Asda Online Doctor can offer you a faster herpes test result time.

How to interpret the results of a genital herpes test kit?

Normally when you get your test results, a nurse or doctor will explain to you what they mean and whether or not you have a genital herpes infection.

At Asda Online Doctor we always provide straightforward advice alongside your test results, including making it clear whether or not you have genital herpes.

What does ‘HSV-2 positive’ mean?

If you use a testing service where they don’t give any healthcare advice with your results, it may be harder to understand what your results mean. Generally your results should say whether or not you are positive for HSV-2, the virus that causes genital herpes.

If your results are positive for HSV-2, that means the test found genetic information that comes from the HSV-2 virus on your swab sample which means your sores are caused by genital herpes.

What can cause a false positive herpes test?

The main cause of a false positive test is when a blood test is used and the IgG value (which shows whether herpes antibodies are in the blood) is around the borderline for positive. The borderline IgG values for herpes are between 1.1 and 3.5, although false positives can happen even with values higher than 3.5.

False positives on the herpes swab test are basically non-existent, which is one of the reasons why they are used by Asda Online Doctor.

If you test positive for genital herpes then you should avoid having sex until your symptoms clear up. You can get herpes treatment to help your symptoms clear up faster. You should use condoms when you have sex, even if you don’t have symptoms because you can still pass your herpes on to your partner(s). Condoms do not fully protect you from passing on herpes to your partner, especially if the herpes sores are on areas not covered by the condom.

You can also get treatment to help suppress outbreaks. This means taking the same medication that you would take for an outbreak, even when you don’t have symptoms, to help make outbreaks less likely.

Treating genital herpes involves taking antiviral medications. These are treatments that help stop the virus from growing and spreading, which makes it easier for your body to fight off an outbreak.

Once you’ve tested positive for genital herpes, you can order genital herpes treatment online from a service like Asda Online Doctor, or else from your GP. Ordering from Asda Online Doctor is easy and comes with a range of benefits:

• fill out a short assessment and place your order
• a doctor checks your order and approves treatment if it’s right for you
• treatment is sent to your door with free delivery available
• there’s no need to book an appointment in advance and no need for a face-to-face consultation either
• you’ll also have access to comprehensive follow-up care through your patient account

Your best chance of avoiding getting genital herpes is to use condoms during sex. It’s important to use them even if your partner doesn’t have symptoms of genital herpes because it can be passed on even when there’s no outbreak.

How to prevent a herpes outbreak?

“There are a few different factors that can trigger an outbreak of genital herpes. These can include stress, tiredness, getting sick, having sex, surgery and getting your period. Everyone’s triggers are different so it’s important to keep track of your outbreaks to see if you can spot a pattern and identify what your triggers are. Once you know, you can then try and minimise your triggers, like if you find out stress is a trigger you can practise anti-stress techniques like mindfulness meditation or yoga. Remember, you can always order suppressive treatment as well to help avoid outbreaks.” – Dr Kathryn Basford.

Genital herpes is a viral infection that is spread by skin-to-skin contact, normally during sex. The infection is spread either by contact with the sores that herpes causes or during viral shedding, when the virus is growing and multiplying.

What is genital herpes?

Genital herpes is a viral infection. This means it’s caused by being infected by a virus from someone else, usually during sex. Because it’s a virus it can’t be cured with antibiotics and a herpes infection is usually permanent.

Genital herpes is caused by either the HSV-1 or HSV-2 viruses. It usually stays dormant, meaning it does cause symptoms all the time, but it can cause an outbreak of symptoms every now and then.

What stage of herpes is most contagious?

You’re at your most infectious when you have herpes sores or when the herpes virus is shedding. Shedding happens about 20% of the time when you have symptoms and 10% of the time when you don’t. Shedding means the herpes virus is multiplying and you can infect someone else.

How does genital herpes spread?

The herpes virus spreads when the virus is shedding, which means the virus is growing, spreading and can infect someone else. Genital herpes caused by the HSV-1 virus can be spread by oral, anal or genital sex and HSV-2 is only spread by anal or genital sex.

The herpes virus is spread by skin-to-skin contact. This is more likely when there are sores but can happen even when there are no sores.

How many people have genital herpes in the UK?

23% of the UK population are infected with the virus that causes genital herpes. Not all of these people have outbreaks of genital herpes though. Since the current UK population is over 67 million, that’s about 15.41 million people who have the genital herpes virus.

In 2022, 24,910 people were diagnosed with their first episode of genital herpes. This was a 13.8% increase compared to 2021 when only 21,892 people had their first outbreak. But, this is 27.7% lower than in 2019 when 34,464 had their first outbreak. This decrease is likely because of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.

“23% of the UK population have the genital herpes virus, HSV-2. But not all of those people have outbreaks of genital herpes. Although rates of new genital herpes outbreaks dropped during the pandemic, they are increasing again. Since genital herpes often doesn’t have symptoms, it’s important to use protection during sex.” – Dr Babak Ashrafi, Clinical Lead for Service Expansion at ZAVA.

Can herpes cause infertility in females?

“Genital herpes doesn’t directly impact fertility in women. The virus doesn’t affect the way you ovulate or how well a fertilised egg will grow in your womb. The only way herpes can make it harder to get pregnant is that unprotected sex is not recommended while you have genital herpes symptoms, which means you might miss your fertile days because of a herpes outbreak.” – Dr Kathryn Basford.