Is PCR testing reliable for herpes? Any false results?

[TwoWitsEnd]

Did anyone have HSV PCR give a false result? If so, what was the likely cause of the false result?

 

I have read HSV PCR can pick it up just off the skin even with no sores? Is any of this true? 

[Csmith10]

Hii, thank you for responding to my own post about this. Just based on what I’ve been through- noone should ever rely on the blood tests. The only way to really determine is by swabbing an active sore. Any other way is extremely unreliable. I got it solely because I relied on my partner’s recent blood results and of course his body didn’t work up the antibodies yet from the person he originally got it from 

[mr_hopp]

@TwoWitsEnd — PCR tests are highly accurate for detecting HSV because they look for the virus’s genetic material, even when no sores are present. But yes, false results can still happen. Things like poor sample collection, contamination, or testing too early can cause false negatives or positives. It's true that PCR can sometimes pick up herpes from the skin even without visible sores because of asymptomatic shedding, but that doesn’t mean it’s foolproof.

@Csmith10 — Yeah, IgG blood tests are certainly not reliable enough to feel like a definitive result unfortunately. And yet they're the most popular. Go figure. The Western Blot is absolutely reliable (if testing is done at least 16 weeks after exposure so antibodies can build up to detectable levels), but it costs a couple hundred bucks to order, which can be a barrier to entry for sure.