Work

Herpes Simplex Virus Infections: An Overview of Testing for the Urgent Care Clinician.

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In the urgent care (UC) setting, patients commonly present with nominal requests for herpes simplex virus (HSV) testing. HSV infections are common, pleomorphic, and associated with significant stigma. This combination creates a situation where decisions regarding which, if any, test(s) to obtain can be highly impactful for the mental health of patients and their romantic partners. It is imperative that UC clinicians understand the utility and test characteristics of HSV testing and the implications of findings before ordering testing. Given that both HSV-1 and HSV-2 are chronic infections, serologic testing results have the potential for lifelong consequences and should only be obtained in settings where clinically indicated and with appropriate patient counseling.

Source: PubMed

Authors: Brittney Tice, Joseph Something, Benjamin Zimmerman

Institutions: Legacy Health, National University of Natural Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institutes of Health

Award: Building Research across Interdisciplinary Gaps (BRIDG) T90/R90 Training Program