09/21/2026
Weโve fielded a lot of questions about herpes and the virus that causes it (HSV) over the years. HSV comes in 2 strains: one that affects the lips and mouth, and one that affects the ge***al area. Herpes is often the subject of bad jokes but the virus is so common but many people donโt know they have it and never experience symptoms! ๐ณ
People often ask us whether they should get tested for herpes and whether they should tell hookups if they are living with the virusโ Our friend Jake Collins has put together some awesome videos about it! Give him a follow for great content about menโs health โจ
Hereโs what Jake has to say:
โHSV blood testing sounds like it should be helpful, and in some cases it is. But as a screening test in people with no symptoms? I hate it.
Because a positive HSV blood test can give someone a label without telling them whether they have clinical herpes disease, where the infection is, when they got it, whether they are contagious right now, or whether they will ever have symptoms.
And for a lot of patients, that does not create peace of mind.
It creates anxiety, stigma, and a new lifelong question: โDo I have to disclose this forever?โ
HSV infection is incredibly common. Clinical herpes disease is not the same thing as simply having antibodies.
A positive blood test does not mean your life is over. It means you have evidence of a very common viral infection that many, many people have.โ
***rhealth
