Getting Tested for Herpes

Does testing positive for herpes mean you will inevitably have outbreaks? Does a positive herpes test result always mean you can spread genital herpes to others? These are among the questions raised by readers of the Consults blog. Dr. Peter Leone, associate professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and Public Health, addresses testing for the two types of herpes simplex virus: HSV-2, the main cause of genital herpes, and HSV-1, responsible for most cases of oral herpes, or cold sores.