Hello Doctor I Had An Exposure With A Girl Whom

Posted on Mon, 11 Nov 2019

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : hello doctor i had an exposure with a girl whom i suspect to have herpes. its been 15 days today. since there is a window period for antibody test i would like to know if i can get PCR blood test since i have no symptoms as yet.

Are PCR tests accurate at 15 days.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Regarding herpes testing

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to ask a doctor service. I have gone through your query and noted your concern.

PCR for HSV is only done from a clinical lesion, if you have one, like a herpes blister or a sore on genitalia. Not from blood. Blood testing in herpes is only for antibodies which may be detectable at 2-3 weeks initially IgM and subsequently IgG against HSV which appears later at 4-6 weeks.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if you need any more assistance.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D