Diagnosis of genital herpes starts when the physician asks for a medical examination to be carried out. It is the clinical test through which it can be definitely confirmed whether the person is suffering from genital herpes or not. But before even that test is done, the medicine man will normally physically examine the affected area, but this act may still be inconclusive. And so a clinical test becomes necessary.

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that can happen to both men and women. It is caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus, which is also known as HSV. Actually there are 2 viruses that cause the damage - HSV 1 and HSV 2. But in most cases it is the type 2 that causes the problem. Diagnosis of genital herpes involves identifying the presence of the virus in the body.

Whenever there are some redness or swollenness or lesions around the penis or the vagina take notice. It could be genital herpes because these are the usual first signs. Genital herpes can come with some itchiness and pain - but these may not be there as well. Here are some common symptoms that can help someone do the right diagnosis

Blisters in the vagina, penis, anus or areas close to the genital organs.
A burning or itching sensation in the genitals.
Stomach and head ache.
A fever like feeling.
Genitals becoming swollen.
White discharge from the vagina.
A slight or severe pain during passing urine.

Like discusses earlier, the physician would ask for a clinical test to be carried out when the symptoms start to appear. The test results would confirm the presence of the Herpes Simplex Virus. Though many doctors are able to properly diagnose genital herpes by just looking at the sores, but it is in most cases better to get the examination done to be sure. And in some cases there are almost no symptoms at all - an examination becomes essential in these cases.

There is the PCR or the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test in which the sample is collected from the genital area, urethra or the cervix and then sent for cell culture. However this needs to be done within 72 hours of the lesions becoming visible. There is the swab test culture but here the laboratory report may have errors in it because the laboratory is not always able to detect the presence of the virus in the body.

Type specific tests on the other hand can tell whether the person is affected with HSV 1 or HSV 2. A normal blood test will be able to diagnose genital herpes because it cannot differentiate between the 2 types - and mostly only the type 2 causes genital herpes.

Considering the sheer number of people having to diagnose genital herpes, it is no surprise that there is a lot of scientific work going on in this area. So it can be expected that in the near future more tests to diagnose genital herpes properly would come out.

Todd Mumford
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