STD Testing

Most "complete" STD screenings do not test for HSV or HPV. You must specify that you want to be tested for HSV/HPV when you get tested. We recommend that you ask your physician for a copy of your STD test results so you can see which STDs you were tested for.

For HSV testing, it's important for you to know that:

- a swab test can be performed only when lesions or sores are present; if the swab test is performed when sores are almost healed, the results may not be accurate

- a blood test can be performed, however it may take months for HSV antibodies to appear in the blood, so if the test is done too early, the results may not be accurate

- false negatives are extremely common in both swab and blood tests, which often causes individuals to think they are safe and accidentally infect others with the virus

- a person might test positive one time and test negative another time, causing them to think they are no longer or never were infected

For HPV testing, it's important for you to know that:

- there is currently no FDA approved test for HPV in men unless they have visible genital warts

- genital warts are diagnosed with a visual inspection of the warts

- acetic acid, a vinegar solution, can help to identify flat warts, however this is not a sensitive test so normal skin may be incorrectly identified as a genital wart

- HPV testing for women looks for cervical cell changes, which are symptoms of high-risk strains and cervical cancer; this testing is performed during regular PAP tests

- HPV tests cannot determine which strain(s) of the virus a woman has contracted

STD Testing

For HSV testing, it's important for you to know that:

For HPV testing, it's important for you to know that:

National STD Hotlines

1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)

ASHA STI Resource Center (919) 361-8488

PositiveSTDSingles.com - the best, most trusted and largest anonymous STD dating site!