Herpes test: prices compared
Herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2)
Current prices from 8 providers, including panels that contain this test. Every price shows when we last checked it.
Medical review pendingWritten by the STD Test Prices editorial team using CDC sources
Prices
| Provider | What's included | Price | Route | Results time | Same-day? | HSA/FSA | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STDcheck.com | Single test HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibody blood test. A $6 physician fee is added per order at checkout; orders at New York labs add a 35% New York compliance fee. | $79 | Lab visit | 1 to 2 days | Yes | Yes | Order (opens in a new tab) |
| Quest DiagnosticsNot available in AZ, HI, PR | Single test HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG blood test; results in 2–3 business days. A $6 physician service fee is added per order. | $105 | Lab visit | 1 to 3 days | Yes | Yes | Order (opens in a new tab) |
| Priority STD Testing | Single test HSV-1 and HSV-2 blood test. | $109 | Lab visit | 1 to 3 days | Yes | Yes | Order (opens in a new tab) |
| LetsGetChecked | Single test HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies (finger prick). One-time price (subscription every 3 months: $83.30). Free shipping. | $119 | Home kit | 2 to 5 days | No | Yes | Order (opens in a new tab) |
| Labcorp OnDemand | Single test HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG blood test. Price includes the ordering provider's fee and sample collection. | $149 | Lab visit | 1 to 4 days | No | Yes | Order (opens in a new tab) |
| Rapid STD Testing | Single test HSV-1 and HSV-2 blood test. | $189 | Lab visit | 1 to 2 days | Yes | Yes | Order (opens in a new tab) |
| Wisp | Included in 9-Panel STI Test9 tests as the provider counts them
Includes HSV-1 and HSV-2. HIV is an included oral rapid antibody self-test; a positive needs confirmation elsewhere. Telehealth consult included if positive; medication is paid at the pharmacy. Free shipping both ways. | $249 | Home kit | 3 to 5 days | No | Yes | Order (opens in a new tab) |
| myLAB Box | Single testHSV-2 only HSV-2 antibody only (finger prick). Free shipping only on orders of $150 or more; smaller orders pay a shipping fee shown at checkout. | $89 | Home kit | 2 to 8 days | No | Yes | Order (opens in a new tab) |
Single test
$79- Route
- Lab visit
- Results time
- 1 to 2 days
- Same-day?
- Yes
- HSA/FSA
- Yes
HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibody blood test. A $6 physician fee is added per order at checkout; orders at New York labs add a 35% New York compliance fee.
Order at STDcheck.com (opens in a new tab)Single test
$105- Route
- Lab visit
- Results time
- 1 to 3 days
- Same-day?
- Yes
- HSA/FSA
- Yes
Not available in AZ, HI, PR
HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG blood test; results in 2–3 business days. A $6 physician service fee is added per order.
Order at Quest Diagnostics (opens in a new tab)Single test
$109- Route
- Lab visit
- Results time
- 1 to 3 days
- Same-day?
- Yes
- HSA/FSA
- Yes
HSV-1 and HSV-2 blood test.
Order at Priority STD Testing (opens in a new tab)Single test
$119- Route
- Home kit
- Results time
- 2 to 5 days
- Same-day?
- No
- HSA/FSA
- Yes
HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies (finger prick). One-time price (subscription every 3 months: $83.30). Free shipping.
Order at LetsGetChecked (opens in a new tab)Single test
$149- Route
- Lab visit
- Results time
- 1 to 4 days
- Same-day?
- No
- HSA/FSA
- Yes
HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG blood test. Price includes the ordering provider's fee and sample collection.
Order at Labcorp OnDemand (opens in a new tab)Single test
$189- Route
- Lab visit
- Results time
- 1 to 2 days
- Same-day?
- Yes
- HSA/FSA
- Yes
HSV-1 and HSV-2 blood test.
Order at Rapid STD Testing (opens in a new tab)Included in 9-Panel STI Test9 tests as the provider counts them
$249- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Syphilis
+5 more
- HIV
- Herpes
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Trichomoniasis
- Route
- Home kit
- Results time
- 3 to 5 days
- Same-day?
- No
- HSA/FSA
- Yes
Includes HSV-1 and HSV-2. HIV is an included oral rapid antibody self-test; a positive needs confirmation elsewhere. Telehealth consult included if positive; medication is paid at the pharmacy. Free shipping both ways.
Order at Wisp (opens in a new tab)Single testHSV-2 only
$89- Route
- Home kit
- Results time
- 2 to 8 days
- Same-day?
- No
- HSA/FSA
- Yes
HSV-2 antibody only (finger prick). Free shipping only on orders of $150 or more; smaller orders pay a shipping fee shown at checkout.
Order at myLAB Box (opens in a new tab)
About this test
Herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 or type 2, known as HSV-1 and HSV-2. Either type can cause genital herpes, and CDC says a growing share of genital infections is caused by HSV-1.
There are two ways to test. If you have a sore, a clinician can swab it for a NAAT, which CDC calls the most sensitive test. Without a sore, a blood test looks for IgG antibodies to HSV-1 and HSV-2. Ask for a type-specific IgG test. CDC says IgM tests are not useful.
Herpes blood tests have real limits. CDC and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend against routine herpes blood tests for people without symptoms. CDC says the most common HSV-2 blood test is often falsely positive at low index values, between 1.1 and 3.0, and those results need a second, different test. An HSV-1 result can't show whether an infection is oral or genital. A blood test can help if symptoms come and go while swab tests stay negative, or if a partner has genital herpes. Herpes is not on the national list of reportable infections.
When to test
Herpes blood tests look for antibodies, which develop in the first weeks after infection. CDC says false negatives are more common early on. Its STI treatment guidelines recommend repeating a type-specific IgG test 12 weeks after a possible exposure, and its herpes testing page says it can take up to 16 weeks or more for tests to detect infection. Test from 12 weeks; a negative result is most reliable from 16 weeks. If you have a sore, don't wait for a blood test. A swab of the sore can be tested right away and is the more accurate test.
Retesting
Herpes can't be cured, so there's no test of cure after treatment. CDC says a low positive HSV-2 result, with an index value between 1.1 and 3.0, should be confirmed with a second, different test. If an early blood test was negative, CDC recommends testing again 12 weeks after the possible exposure.
Common questions
Should I get a herpes blood test if I have no symptoms?
CDC says HSV-2 blood screening of the general population is not recommended, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against routine screening. A blood test can help in specific cases, such as a partner with genital herpes. Talk it through with a clinician if you're unsure.
What's the best test if I have a sore?
A swab of the sore, tested with a NAAT. CDC says that is how a suspected genital herpes sore should be confirmed. That means seeing a clinician, ideally while the sore is still there.
What does a low positive HSV-2 result mean?
It may be a false positive. CDC says the most common HSV-2 blood test is often falsely positive at index values between 1.1 and 3.0, and recommends a second test with a different method before the result is read as positive.
Is a herpes test included in a full panel?
Some full panels include an HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG blood test and some don't. Check the What's included column. Given CDC's advice against routine screening, a panel without herpes is not missing anything you need if you have no symptoms.
Can herpes be cured?
No. Antiviral medicine can ease and shorten outbreaks, but CDC notes that these medicines don't clear the virus from the body. A clinician can help you decide on treatment.
Sources
- Genital Herpes (STI Treatment Guidelines) (opens in a new tab), CDC
- Screening for Genital Herpes (opens in a new tab), CDC
- Genital Herpes Infection: Serologic Screening (2023) (opens in a new tab), U.S. Preventive Services Task Force