THIS. I was shocked when I found out in my teens that standard panels don't cover herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2 are the two categories of strains; HSV-1 is usually oral and HSV-2 is usually genital). More than half of Americans have HSV-1 and >16% (about 1 in 6) have HSV-2. Most of them don't have symptoms and don't know they're infected, but if they pass it to YOU there's no guarantee that you won't have symptoms.
Like most Americans, I have HSV-1 (though I've never had a cold sore), but I still get tested for HSV-2 every time I get a panel done. I've had to lie and say that I thought I'd been exposed; otherwise, PP wouldn't do the testing. That's thanks to the CDC, which actually recommends NOT doing routine herpes testing:
"It is not clear that the identification of persons with HSV infection would decrease the spread of HSV in the population. There is no evidence that detection of HSV infection through testing of persons with no symptoms suggestive of herpes leads to a change their sexual behavior. Because the tests can be expensive and the diagnosis may have adverse psychological or effects for some people, widespread testing for HSV is not currently recommended."
Well, the CDC can shove that where the sun doesn't shine, 'cause I think the best way to avoid the psychological effects of having herpes is not getting herpes.
That's actually not quite correct - canker sores are totally unrelated to herpes. Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus; they're the ones that tend to show up on your lips or around the outside of your mouth. But most people with HSV-1 (again, that's the majority of Americans and the majority of people worldwide) don't have any symptoms at all.
EDIT: A few more fun herpes facts:
HSV-1 is usually oral and HSV-2 is usually genital, but if someone with oral herpes gives oral sex to someone without it, there's a very small chance that the receiver will get a genital infection. Likewise, giving oral sex to someone with genital herpes can (rarely) result in an oral infection.
You can get HSV-1 (or oral HSV-2) by kissing - in fact, that's usually how it spreads. That's why most of us have it.
Condoms only reduce the risk of genital herpes transmission by ~30%. This is pretty awful news, since most people never get tested for it (and think they have been tested, since they assume it's on the standard panel). If you really, really don't want to get herpes, you basically need to make your partner get tested.




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