Antibody test for herpes

Plenty of online clinics sell antibody tests for herpes. Here’s why we do not recommend them.

The tests will check for herpes simplex antibodies.

  1. It takes between 3 weeks and a year to create a full ‘army’ of antibodies.
  2. A negative test is very likely to be wrong. One in three negative test results may be wrong.  A person can have caught the virus and have developed a satisfactory quantity of antibodies to control the virus and prevent recurrences. But this is achieved with such a low level of antibodies that the test comes back as negative. (See van Rooijen reference.)
  3. Positive tests can be wrong. One in ten positive results may be incorrect. The test can mis-identify proteins, perhaps from chickenpox virus (that’s “humanherpes type 3”) and label them incorrectly as herpes simplex.
  4. Having antibodies does not identify the part of the body that might be affected – only a swab of a sore can do that. An asymptomatic facial cold sore infection will also cause the immune system to make antibodies.

In December 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a letter to all doctors advising them not to use the antibody test because one in ten positive results for herpes is wrong.

What are herpes antibodies?

Antibodies are the “soldier cells” that your body makes. So your all purpose antibodies fight the primary infection. Then your body starts making specific antibodies to fight this virus. (Any vaccine, such as for flu or Covid will nudge your body into making specific flu or Covid antibodies.)

Tests look for two sorts of antibodies: IgM and IgG. Positive IgM results show that there is an active infection going on. Positive IgG antibodies show that that you have had the virus for a while – probably more than 3 months.

Don’t use urine tests for herpes

Urine tests should not be used to diagnose genital herpes. Beware, these may be offered inappropriately by private testing services.

It could easily be something else. What else could it be if it is not herpes?

Your symptoms may not be caused by genital herpes. More than 24 other conditions could be causing them. Just because you have herpes, this does not stop you from also developing or catching something else too. See the section on “What else?” at the bottom of the “diagnosis” page.

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Don’t self-diagnose. We do not show herpes photos as most infections are so very slight that the photo is not helpful. Other conditions also create blisters or sores that look just like genital herpes. Get a swab test to get a diagnosis: a positive result will confirm it is genital herpes.

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Page published 8/9/2025