Our Top Picks for At-Home Herpes Tests to Help You Address Your Sexual Health

Personalabs Comprehensive STD Blood Test screens for six common STIs: in addition to herpes 1 and 2, you’ll be tested for HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. It also offers a virtual consultation should your results come back positive, as well as prescription medication, should you need it.

You’ll create an account on the company's website, then select the tests you’d like and pay online. The fee varies by test and the lab you choose, and covers the lab test, doctor’s order, lab visit, and Personalabs medical director’s review of your results. 

After you pay the fee ($251 at Quest and $230 at Labcorp; you can use health spending account, or HSA, funds), the site will generate a lab order which you’ll need to print to take with you to the lab. A physician from Personalabs’ network will approve your order within a few hours. Then, you can visit the lab at your convenience; no appointment is required (though making an appointment can decrease wait time). After your blood draw, your results will be sent within 24 to 48 hours to your Personalabs’ patient portal. The company is HIPAA-compliant, so results cannot be given over the phone.

Should anything come back positive or you have further questions, Personalabs offers a 15-minute virtual consultation with a licensed medical practitioner for an added fee of $89. In 32 states and Washington D.C., they can also prescribe medication. In addition, if you have any other, non-medical questions, there is a customer service team available 24/7 via live chat or over the phone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. If you only wish to test for herpes 2, Personalabs also has a Genital Herpes Test for $55 at Quest; if you have a positive result, you’ll receive STI counseling and a prescription to a pharmacy of your choice for treatment, free of charge (though you or your insurance will need to pay for the medication).

People with genital herpes are at an increased risk of contracting HIV, so it is wise to test for both. It’s also recommended to get tested for STIs if you are experiencing any symptoms or two to three weeks after you’ve been exposed, with repeated testing in three months, especially since STIs have different incubation periods. Herpes symptoms generally appear about four days after infection with a range of two to 12 days. It’s also important to test if you’ll be having sex with a new partner, as STIs often do not have symptoms. An at-home test with a subscription can help make getting tested regularly much easier (and less expensive), which is where iDNA comes in.

Using just one sample, the iDNA Complete Test screens for 10 of the most common STIs, including herpes 2:

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
• Trichomoniasis
• Syphilis
• Herpes 2
• Hepatitis C
• HIV I/II
• HPV
• Mycoplasma
• Ureaplasma

The test retails for $298. You can use HSA or flexible spending account (FSA) funds to pay for it, and it will arrive in a discreet package. First, you register your kit on the iDNA website; this is crucial for having your secure results tied to your personal email address. Note that this test screens for herpes 2, not herpes 1. It is quite common to carry antibodies for herpes 1 because it is so prevalent, which is why herpes 1 is not often screened for in tests.

You will need both a urine and blood sample, plus a vaginal swab for people who menstruate. Then, using the prepaid shipping label, you’ll send your sample to the Certificate of Compliance and Certificate of Accreditation (CLIA)-certified lab to be analyzed. This certification means the lab meets certain standards required to process human specimens. Within two to seven days, you’ll receive an email saying your results are ready in your secure iDNA account. Shipping is free both ways, but if you need your test faster, you can opt for express ($50) or priority ($17) shipping at checkout.

iDNA has a $25 monthly membership option if you plan to test regularly. It includes one test of your choice per month or a monthly doctor consultation (most sexual wellness tests include one doctor consultation if you test positive, but other more general iDNA tests such as vitamin D levels, for example, will not include a doctor’s visit). The membership also includes 25% off additional tests, and access to follow-up doctor consults for $45 a session. While you can absolutely share results with your doctor if you test positive and you’re not a member, only iDNA members have the option to purchase a doctor consultation and receive treatment through the iDNA platform. 

If you know you’ve been recently exposed to herpes 2 or did an STI panel that did not include this test, it may make sense just to screen for herpes 2. The iDNA herpes test ($78) uses an ELISA (which stands for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) antibody test to detect the presence of antibodies produced by the human body after exposure to the herpes virus. You’ll receive results in as little as two days.  

It’s recommended to test for herpes if you don't have symptoms but you have a partner who has tested positive, or if you’re having unprotected sex regularly. So, it may be beneficial and cost-saving to become a member so you can test repeatedly. The iDNA membership is a monthly fee of $25 and includes one test of your choice per month, plus 25% off additional tests, and doctor consults for $45 a session. 

Results are typically available in two to seven days, which is about average for the tests we surveyed. You will be notified via email as soon as they are available, but results (aka if you are positive or negative) can only be seen by logging into the secure iDNA account. You can delete your results at any time.

STD Check’s Herpes Tests are not tests you can do fully at home, but they’re an affordable and easy way to get tested for herpes 1 and/or 2 in a local lab. Lab testing has its benefits, as it avoids self-test user error and can be helpful for people who are squeamish about using a lancet on themselves. To begin, visit the STD Check website and input your ZIP code to get a list of testing centers near you; with over 4,500 locations, there’s likely to be one within a few miles, especially if you live in a city.

First, you’ll select the test you want on the website. There’s a 10-panel STD test which tests both herpes 1 and 2 for $139, and the same test plus FDA-approved HIV RNA Early Detection testing for $259. If you only wish to be tested for herpes 2 (genital herpes) or herpes 1 (each costs $45), that’s an option too (or you could test for both herpes 1 and 2 for $90). Then, you’ll choose your testing location, and note how you’d like to be notified when your results are available—you can be texted or emailed, or you can choose not to be notified and instead call yourself, which some may prefer for privacy reasons.  

You’ll pay in the online portal either before or after you get tested, but you’ll never pay at the clinic. After you place your order, you’ll get your lab requisition form (a form that lists your billing and personal information plus the tests you’re requesting). Your test code and the address of the test center you choose will be visible in your account. Bring your lab requisition form and your test code to the testing center. These tests take five minutes or less, typically, and the herpes test is a simple blood draw. You don’t have to make an appointment if you prefer to walk in to the lab testing center, though it is recommended if you want to reduce wait times. Saturday time slots are available for both walk-ins and appointments. 

One of the features that sets STD Check apart is the option to send an anonymous text or email to partners to let them know a sexual partner has tested positive for an STI and they should get checked. You can access that feature here even if you don’t purchase a test through the platform. You’ll also have the option to have a free call with a physician should you test positive. Results are HIPAA-protected and your information will not be noted in your permanent medical file or be sent to your insurance company.

Using an at-home test with explicit, detailed instructions can help reduce user error—a main cause of false results with these types of tests. LetsGetChecked’s Herpes Test ($119, or $83 with a subscription) tests for both herpes 1 and herpes 2, which is helpful if you suspect you might have both. While herpes I is more common and has fewer adverse side effects than Herpes 2, it can be transmitted without symptoms, so it’s a good idea to know if you have it so you can take steps to avoid transmission.

Register the kit when you are ready to collect your sample and note that it must be sent back on the same day it’s collected, and should not be done on a weekend (in order to avoid shipping delays). The test detects herpes simplex virus antibodies in the blood and is more accurate than a saliva test. You’ll see results in your online patient portal in two to five days.

A caveat: Antibodies typically take anywhere between four and 16 weeks to appear if you have been exposed to herpes, but symptoms can occur within days, so, you may get a false negative the first time. That’s why it’s important to retest regularly for up to or beyond 16 weeks. That’s where the LetsGetChecked subscription service comes in handy—you can get a new test every three months at the reduced cost of $83 (you can cancel anytime). 

The company says it has clinicians on call should you need help throughout the testing process. You may also receive a call from one of its physicians to discuss your results if they appear abnormal, and if your results are positive, you’ll have the option to consult with a physician for an added fee.

If you’re in a relationship and decide to start having unprotected sex, or you and your partner (or both) are having unprotected sex outside the relationship, getting tested for herpes will help reduce the risk of infection. It will also help you take proper precautions if one person tests positive and the other does not. MyLAB Box Love Box ($378) tests two people for HIV (1 and 2), hepatitis C, herpes type 2, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. It tests partners of every orientation and sexual organ makeup, so it’s more inclusive than some other couples' STI tests. The kit is essentially two of the brand’s Uber Box packaged together; in addition to the convenience of only needing to order once, you’re also saving $20 when you purchase the Love Box.

Your kit will ship within 24 hours of purchase. You can test any time Monday through Friday (the kit needs to be returned the same day so you shouldn’t test on a non-business day). It requires a blood test for both partners, a urine sample for people with testicles, and a vaginal swab for people who currently (or did) menstruate, so it’s a bit more complex than some of the others on this list. 

You will receive an email with a link to a secure online portal where you’ll find your HIPAA-protected results—each member of the couple receives their own results via their own, private online portal. One of the best things about this couples test is if you or your partner test positive, you’ll have the option to speak to a physician in your state who can offer guidance and prescribe medication when appropriate. This service is free of charge.

With myLAB Box At-Home Herpes Test ($89), you’ll have the option to have a free phone consultation with a doctor if you test positive.

You’ll register your test before collecting your sample. Once you send it back via the provided unmarked packaging and prepaid label, it will be analyzed at a CLIA-certified lab.

You’ll receive lab-certified results in two to five days; once your results are in, you’ll get an email with a link to your secure online portal where you can find your confidential results. A physician reviews the results for all myLAB Box tests before they are sent. All customers who test positive are eligible for a free phone consultation with a myLAB Box physician affiliate. While there is no cure for herpes, if you test positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trich—and depending on your symptoms at the time of consultation—the physician may be able to send a prescription to the pharmacy of your choosing immediately. To request a physician consultation, e-mail customerservice@mylabbox.com with your order number. Then, a brief questionnaire will be e-mailed to you to fill out before scheduling a physician consultation. 

MyLAB Box doesn’t release information to the Medical Information Bureau database, which sometimes happens when insurance is used to cover the cost of a test (which is why it doesn’t accept insurance). So you can be assured your results stay private and your premium will not increase.