How did your doctor diagnose herpes?   Did s/he take a swab test? A swab test of your symptoms (usually blisters) will indicate if they are caused by the herpes virus, however, false negatives and positives are possible with swab tests.   A blood test looks for antibodies - if you have only just acquired the virus it is possible that you would not have built up enough antibodies yet so you would require re-testing in 3-6 months to be certain.   Often doctors do not bother with a blood test at all since approx 80% of people have oral herpes (usually caused by HSV-1) so odds are that for most people a blood test would show positive for HSV-1.   Note: Blood tests cannot indicate or confirm that you have genital herpes, only that you have herpes and which type. A swab test of the actual blisters/symptoms will tell if they are caused by herpes.   Jeannie May Herpes Awareness Campaigner & Peer Support Provider www.livingsphere.com