If herpes or STD status is unknown, go together to get screened. Specimens must be collected within 2 days of the emergence of the lesion. A positive antibody test means that the person tested is infected with HSV and is contagious from time to time. At present, this blood test is not widely available. There is no cure for herpes infection.
Antiretroviral medications can minimize symptoms and reduce the number of recurrent outbreaks.
Genital herpes infections do not cause permanent disability or long-term damage in healthy adults. In people who have suppressed immune systems, however, HSV episodes can be long-lasting and unusually severe. In addition, pregnant women with active herpes may pass the virus on to their child in the womb or during delivery. A pregnant woman who develops a first episode of genital herpes can pass the virus to her fetus and may be at higher risk for premature delivery. Half of the babies infected with herpes either die or suffer neurologic damage.