any UK people had a blood test? - Herpes Message Board

fourstar · 11-13-2003, 04:39 AM

I went to my STD clinic and asked about getting a herpes blood test...but they said you can't get them in the UK cos they are not reliable.

I get these red marks that look quite sore under my forskin every so often.....they don't itch or hurt or anything, but i never noticed them before the incident.

They don't blister/last long enough to get a swab done and apparently I can't get a blood test in the UK

any ideas?

bmini · 11-13-2003, 09:11 AM

I went to a GUM clinic during an outbreak. The doc burst one of the blisters, took a sample, had a look and told me what I didn't want to hear. How he tested to confirm what it was I don't know, but there is obviously some way. Try going to a clinic during an OB and see if they can do the same, if you haven't already done so.

fourstar · 11-14-2003, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmini

I went to a GUM clinic during an outbreak. The doc burst one of the blisters, took a sample, had a look and told me what I didn't want to hear. How he tested to confirm what it was I don't know, but there is obviously some way. Try going to a clinic during an OB and see if they can do the same, if you haven't already done so.

problem is my 'outbreaks' only last about a day and there's no blisters just red sore patches for a day

bmini · 11-14-2003, 06:04 AM

I had a look back through the threads and found this article. There must be some way of having a blood test done in the UK, even if you have to pay for it yourself.

There is a blood test called the Western Blot and that will tell you will almost 100% accuracy if you have HSV antibodies, and also it will tell you which type (I or II). It won’t tell you the location on your body, though. I heard that it costs about $150, and it isn’t available everywhere, you have to specifically request it. The blood sample gets sent to California to be tested, I think.

You haven’t heard that herpes lays dormant? That is the single most important thing about the virus, and the whole reason the medical industry has failed to find a cure. When you have the virus, and you’re not having any symptoms, it is dormant in the nerve ganglion at some point along your spinal column (base of spine for genital, top for oral). Your immune system keeps the virus trapped there most of the time, this is the latency or dormant stage. Your immune system goes through ups and downs, and if it gets “low” enough, the virus can travel along your nerves to the skin, causing an outbreak (OB). Some people with very strong immune systems never ever get an OB, people with unhealthy lifestyles usually have a terrible time with many OBs.

The situation with your ex means that you could have been exposed to the virus, depending on whether his ex had it when he slept with her. If you can’t get the blood test, evaluate your health status and pay close attention to your body. If you’re a healthy person and take care of yourself, it is more likely that you have the virus and are asymptomatic (without symptoms). If you tend to get every cold going, smoke, or eat unhealthy foods, then the chances are better that you don’t have it because your immune system is “busy” taking care of all that stuff, and it would have been easier for it to cause an OB. That’s pretty unscientific, but it’s a help.

The bottom line is that it’s possible that you have been exposed, even if the chances are slight. Remember 90% of people who have it get no recognizable symptoms, but these people still pass it on. If you don’t get the Western Blot test, you will never know if you have it unless you start to get OBs.

I hope you’re in the clear, keep us posted.

Nonexist

..............