The Writer Who Couldn't Answer Standardized Test Questions About Her Own Work (Again)!

How much critical thinking is going on here?

We are in standardized test season, and all across the country, students are taking the Big Standardized Test by which they, their schools, and their teachers will be judged. How absurd are these tests? Meet Sara Holbrook, the writer who couldn't answer test questions about her own work.

Back in 2017, Holbrook wrote an essay for Huffington Post entitled, "I Can't Answer These Texas Standardized Test Questions About My Own Poems." The writer had discovered that two of her poems were part of the Texas STAAR state exam tests, and she was a bit startled to discover that she was unable to answer some of the questions.

One reason was simple inaccuracy. One question asked why the poet had inserted a stanza break in a particular spot-- and then didn't insert a stanza break in the testing materials. But there was a second issue. Holbrook is a performance poet, and she had inserted the break at the point where, in live readings, she pauses. That choice was not one of the choices available on the test.

In fact, much of Holbrook's issue with the questions was a sort of existential dilemma. Several questions asked, directly or indirectly, for the test taker to judge the author's intentions. The author knew some of her intentions, sort of remembered others, and had others that were layered and complex. But the manufacturers of the test--who had never asked her about any of this--provided only four choices that did not allow her to choose the answer that she knew to be correct.

Now, it's possible that Holbrook is such an angsty, tortured soul of a poet that she simply does not know her own mind as well as the test manufacturers. But Holbrook does not fit the stereotypical faux image of a poet as a fuzzy-headed artiste. She has held writing jobs in the real world, such as Director of Communications for legal giant Jones Dayand Public Information Officer for the public housing authority in Cleveland. She knows what it takes to succeed as a business writer, and she says, "the questions on these tests are not it." She works as an educator and consultant, bringing writing and performance skills into the classroom. Rather than conclude that she does not know her own work, we should instead conclude that the test designers write bad questions. Or as Holbrook herself puts it, "Anytime we ask questions about author intent, we have stepped off the pedagogical sidewalk and into muck."

I reached out to Holbrook recently because the same thing happened to her again. This time a poem of hers was included in a test prep package from Mentoring Minds, LP. The poem itself is called "Walking on the Boundaries of Change," from the book Walking on the Boundaries of Change, Boyds Mills Press, 1998. (Mentoring Minds LP is a Texas corporation, and the previous two poems included in the STAAR test are from the same book, so perhaps Holbrook has some Texas fans who are passing around one copy of her work.) The poem is printed here with the author's permission:

Walking on the Boundaries of Change

Day by day

a tightrope,

walking on the boundaries

of change.

One step --

firm, familiar,

the next step --

shaky, strange.

Some friends

will dare danger,

mock or push each step.

Some friends

knock your confidence.

Real friends

form a net.

It's a simple, sharp moment that captures an emotional picture in some simple images. It's hard to imagine dissecting this with test questions without beating some of the life out of it. Yet Mentoring Minds LD has come up with eight questions.

I cannot reproduce any of the eight questions accompanying the poem here, because the materials include a robust copyright notice that includes phrases such as "maximum extent of the law." But once again, the questions turn on the issue of word choice, central message, and which part of the poem does things "best," all of which hinge on the test taker's interpretation of the poet's intent. And all are multiple choice questions with four possible answers, the kind of test structure that, Holbrook says, causes "students to grow up believing the right interpretation of anything is out there on the internet, and to discredit their own thoughts."

Holbrook, as a poet and an educator, has several thoughts about remedies to these sorts of tests. "Parents, demand to see the test prep materials. Teachers, don't waste time on test prep: you can't teach nonsense. Administrators, take the money you are spending on test prep and spend it on classroom libraries instead. There are no quick fixes. Kids need to read and write voluminously." She advocates for transparency. "If a bike helmet fails to protect a child from injury, consumers can sue the manufacturer. These tests are injurious, but shrouded in secrecy and thereby beyond the reach of most teachers and all parents."

To approach any poem with the notion that each word has one and only one correct reading when language at its most rich involves shades and layers or meaning--what my old college writing professor called "the ambiguity that enriches"--is one way to stifle thinking in students. In many states, we are doing it in grades K through 12.

There are so many layers to Holbrook's situation. The test manufacturers could have contacted her and talked to her about her poem (though Common Core architect David Coleman would argue that doing so was both unnecessary and undesirable), but they didn't. So here we sit, in a bizarre universe where the test writer knows the "correct" answer for a question about a poem, but the person who wrote the poem does not. And at least Holbrook has the option of publicly saying, "Hey, wait a minute," which is more than the deceased authors used for testing can do. But she was only able to do so because somebody risked punishment by sharing test materials with her. Particularly ironic is Mentoring Minds' promise to build critical thinking skills in students, even as Holbrook, by taking reading, writing and speaking out to students in living, breathing, dynamic workshops, is doing far more to promote critical thinking than can be accomplished by challenging students to guess which one of four available answers an unseen test writer has deemed "correct."

The New 5-Minute Concussion Test

Injuries that result in concussion happen anywhere and everywhere, from the sports field and schoolyard to the neighborhood playground, and even the home. Head-injured children and teens are initially assessed in a wide range of settings, by an equally wide range of clinicians, coaches, volunteers, and others. Concussion is not always an easy call to make. We've lacked an easily administered test to facilitate early and accurate diagnosis of concussion. A team of researchers at the CHOP Minds Matter Concussion Frontier Program has developed such a test with the goal of improving outcomes for concussed youth. It's known as the visio-vestibular examination (VVE), and Medscape spoke with researcher Daniel J. Corwin, MD, MSCE, about the vast potential of this simple tool.

Daniel J. Corwin, MD, MSCE

The VVE is a series of physical examination maneuvers testing vision and vestibular function (including balance). It includes testing of:

Dr Christina Master conducting the VVE on a child. Image courtesy of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The VVE has evolved over the past decade on the basis of the clinical experience of concussion specialists in treating thousands of concussed youth, and research evaluating the most useful diagnostic and prognostic physiologic markers of injury.

This is me performing the exam on one of our fabulous nurses. You'll see me explaining step by step how to perform each element, along with a definition of what we consider abnormal. A text description of how to conduct the test can be found here.

The more information the provider has, the better. Eye movements and gait test two systems (vision and vestibular) that are integrated, but ultimately are unique. It's possible to have some elements of the testing be normal after a concussion. I don't think we'll ever be in a place with concussion where a single test (whether it be a clinical test, an imaging study, or a blood-based biomarker) can give you all the information you need as a clinician for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. It's very important to provide a multimodal exam of a concussed child or adolescent and use that information to provide anticipatory guidance.

Several features of the VVE make it an incredibly appealing adjunct to classic symptom exam when evaluating children for concussion across practice settings (the primary care office, urgent care, and the emergency department [ED], where I practice). As with an ankle sprain, whereas a provider might not elicit information about the diagnosis until they assess pain with ambulation, the VVE provides additional information beyond a simple symptom query — there are patients whose symptoms are not provoked until their visio-vestibular system is stressed, particularly right after the injury.

For example, in one study from the ED, we found about 10% of concussion patients had minimal symptoms initially, but abnormal VVE findings facilitated a concussion diagnosis. A standard neurologic exam (cranial nerves, strength, sensation, reflexes, and standard gait test) will almost always be normal in a concussion patient without additional injuries, so the VVE provides the clinician with more concussion-specific information. It goes beyond the subjectivity of simply querying the patient about their symptoms (which can be very nonspecific for concussion; there are lots of reasons to have headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and emotional lability, especially in teenagers!) to provide the clinician with objective data that aid in clinical decision-making.

The VVE has impressive prognostic features, and finally, it is a test of function — we all use the functions being assessed with these exams hundreds of times each day. Children and adolescents, in particular, rely heavily on the ability to perform these tasks effortlessly in the school setting (for example, vertical saccades are used for looking at a board and taking notes, near point of convergence is necessary for reading small print close to one's face, and smooth pursuit helps students track a teacher in person or on a screen). So, an exam of what is normal (or abnormal) when performing these tasks can help pediatricians tailor their recovery guidance by anticipating areas where children may struggle in resuming their normal lives (individualized care, rather than simply a "one size fits all" approach to concussion management, is extremely important).

This important question gives me chance to talk about the heterogeneity of concussion. We often think of concussion as a single clinical entity, but we're learning that there are many different phenotypes of concussion. Therefore, a comprehensive examination that tests the many systems that may be affected by concussion (vision and vestibular being two key systems) is incredibly important for a pediatrician seeing a child who has had a head injury.

The VVE brings together elements that allow a clinician to maximize sensitivity and specificity. For example, when evaluating balance, our complex tandem gait outperformed a device-based measure of balance (a diagnostic area under the receiver-operating characteristic [AUROC] curve of 0.63 for complex tandem gait vs 0.54 for the balance device); the complex tandem gait has an individual component (having the patient walk backward with eyes closed) with the highest sensitivity (81%) of any of the balance measures evaluated.

In evaluating saccades and gaze stability, we found that increasing the number of repetitions when administering the test from 10 to 20 to provoke symptoms increases the sensitivity of the test. When looking at the nine elements overall, each additional abnormal element increases the odds of having a concussion by 2.1 times; when we define an "abnormal" test as at least two of the nine elements being abnormal, the patient is 17.2 times more likely to have a concussion when presenting to the ED after a head injury.

Traditionally, saccadic and gaze stability (angular vestibulo-ocular reflex) testing was stopped after 10 repetitions to assess for symptom provocation. We're learning that many concussion tests have a "ceiling effect" — concussed youth may not have symptoms with a task that is too "easy" and may only present symptoms when their vestibular system is adequately stressed with a more difficult and challenging task (which is why walking backward with the eyes closed in the complex tandem gait test is more sensitive for diagnosing a concussion compared with standard gait testing). In one study, we evaluated the diagnostic ability of these tests at 10, 20, and 30 repetitions. Increasing from 10 to 20 repetitions doubled the sensitivity of the four tests (ranging from 19% to 32% for 10 repetitions to 45% to 52% for 20) without affecting specificity. Increasing to 30 repetitions provided additional sensitivity, but at a cost to specificity. The AUC for the three cutoff points showed that 20 repetitions was the optimized number of repetitions with the highest diagnostic utility in balancing sensitivity and specificity.

Yes! We are one of the first groups to evaluate the performance of concussed youth on this testing across practice settings. For our studies that focus on patients enrolled from a specialty concussion program, as a referral practice, often their first encounter and examination is about a week out from injury.

But one of the appealing features of the VVE, particularly for pediatricians, is that we've found it to be easily performed by clinicians other than concussion specialists, including emergency medicine and primary care pediatricians. We currently are conducting a study evaluating how the examination evolves over time; this work was recently presented at the National Neurotrauma Society annual symposium.

We found that the highest likelihood of an abnormal examination peaks several days after injury (not immediately afterward), with various resolution times by age and sex. This emphasizes the importance of the multimodal evaluation for a suspected concussion — the VVE can augment symptom scales to provide the clinician with the most accurate diagnostic information, regardless of whether they are seeing the patient 1 hour or 1 week after the injury.

It can be done any time. In our current study evaluating how the exam evolves over time, we're finding that the maximum number of abnormalities occur about 1 week after the injury. Some deficits may take some time to develop, so performing the exam immediately after impact may have less sensitivity. This underscores the importance of a multimodal evaluation for a potentially concussed patient, regardless of practice setting; no single test will be perfectly sensitive and specific. But, recognizing the limitations of symptoms (both in terms of their onset as well as their specificity and subjectivity), it is important for the clinician caring for a potentially concussed patient to obtain objective data.

Absolutely. We learned early on in our evaluation of vestibular function after injury that patients with vestibular deficits were more likely to have prolonged recovery times and worse scores on neurocognitive testing. More recently, we found that each individual element of the exam, when abnormal in the first 2 weeks after injury, is independently associated with prolonged recovery, with odds as high as 4.5 for horizontal gaze stability in that study.

Although we're still learning which elements are most prognostic, as a whole, it seems that the more abnormalities a patient has on the VVE, the more likely it is that they will experience a prolonged recovery time. Defining recovery can be a challenge (both in the research and clinical worlds, but using symptoms alone may lead to a premature return to full activity. Monitoring VVE deficits, in combination with symptoms, is particularly useful when determining safety to resume full activity.

Yes, for two big reasons. First, if you are following a concussed patient longitudinally over time, repeat examinations can help track progress and determine when a patient has recovered. Some literature is finding that physiologic markers of injury (of which the VVE is one) often have abnormalities that extend past the timepoint of symptom resolution. Evaluating a VVE along with symptom burden can help the provider most accurately determine when a patient is "recovered" and can resume normal activity.

Just as important is the fact that the VVE is a target for active rehabilitation postinjury. For many children, vision and vestibular deficits resolve spontaneously over the course of days and weeks after the injury. However, for about 30% of concussed youth, these deficits linger and can significantly affect their daily lives. Recognizing lingering deficits can allow the provider to refer a patient to vestibular therapy, which we have shown helps resolve both these deficits on exam, and symptoms associated with these deficits.

Clinically, our providers evaluate children as young as 5 years with elements of the examination. In our research, we've evaluated children as young as 6 years to assess whether developmentally they are able to follow the instructions to complete the examination. About half of 6-year-olds were able to complete the exam, and all patients aged 10 or older were able to follow the instructions and complete the testing.

One of the appealing features of the VVE is its ability to translate across practice settings (not just in the specialty clinical world), where most concussions are diagnosed. Within the CHOP network, the vast majority (over 80%) of concussions are diagnosed by primary care clinicians. It can be performed in 3-5 minutes and is quite easy to learn; all of our research assistants (who are not clinicians) are trained in the exam.

And it can be performed virtually. As a significant proportion of our concussion care moved to telemedicine in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians had to get creative with their evaluation techniques, and our concussion providers perfected the virtual administration of the examination. Athletic trainers and coaches can also be trained on the exam, which becomes important in youth sports where most personnel are volunteers. In terms of reliability, among a wide variety of ED providers (including pediatric emergency medicine physicians, pediatricians, acute care advanced practice providers, and pediatric trainees), we found that the individual exam elements showed fair to moderate agreement between providers and moderate to substantial agreement among the same provider, with substantial interrater and test-retest agreement in the adolescent population.

We recently performed a study evaluating the VVE using a large cohort of nonconcussed persons, comparing abnormalities among various patient characteristics (sex; age; concussion history; baseline aerobic activity; motion sickness history; and comorbidities, such as mood disorders, migraine headaches, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). We found that the exam is relatively robust in all of these groups — a very encouraging result because most providers performing the test will not know the patient's baseline. That being said, about 30% of children (aged 11-18 years) in that study had at least one abnormal element out of nine, though only 3% had more than two abnormalities. So although a single abnormality in the VVE may not be indicative of pathology, the more abnormal elements there are, the more likely the finding is pathologic. One specific group to mention is those with migraine headache history. In this study, we did not find that persons with a history of migraine headaches were more likely to have abnormalities on the exam; however, others have found that those actively experiencing a migraine flare do have VVE abnormalities, and there is an overlap in the pathophysiology of migraine and concussion symptoms.

Although a parent could learn how to administer it as a screening tool, we would still recommend that any patient who is suspected of having a concussion and is assessed with the VVE see a clinician experienced in diagnosing and treating concussion for a complete evaluation.

This is the most important take-home point we'd want pediatricians to learn. For those sitting at home wondering "why spend the extra 3-5 minutes on this test?" — it provides important information for diagnosis, prognosis, and function. As I've mentioned above, some concussed youth will have more subtle presentations, and perhaps they will only have symptoms elicited with VVE testing; therefore, it helps improve diagnostic accuracy.

Prognostically, each individual element of the examination is associated with a prolonged recovery time, in effect sizes that appear to exceed symptom evaluation. And finally, it is an exam of function that can help the provider tailor their anticipatory guidance to the individual patient, an incredibly important component of recovery and school re-integration (as the pandemic taught us, we want to keep kids out of school as minimally as possible).

The VVE for Concussion is part of CHOP's Emergency Department Acute Head Trauma Clinical Pathway. A video demonstration of the VVE is also available.

And, while we have a captive audience, a great set of resources for providers (and parents) can be found at the Minds Matter clinical website.

One of the wonderful things about studying concussion is that so much of what we learn is immediately translatable to the clinical setting — we really move quite rapidly from bench to bedside. With regard to improving diagnostic accuracy, the Minds Matter team is currently evaluating several device-based measures of brain physiology to provide objective diagnostic data. Although this work originated in our specialty care settings, we're starting to evaluate these devices in the ED and are eager to see their contribution to diagnostic accuracy in this very acute postinjury state.

For the VVE in particular, we are very excited about its prognostic potential. One of the big challenges for providers evaluating concussed youth shortly after the injury (like most pediatricians in a primary care clinic, urgent care center, or emergency department) is accurate prognosis. Given the predictive power of the VVE elements, we are looking to utilize them to create a risk model to predict shortly after an injury which persons at highest risk of experiencing prolonged recovery times. Because the VVE abnormalities are a therapeutic target, early identification has the potential to facilitate targeted, active rehabilitation strategies in children at high risk for persisting symptoms, with the potential to ameliorate the significant physical, cognitive, and emotional morbidity that we see in children and adolescents who experience prolonged concussion recoveries. A complete overview of what's happening with the research being conducted by the Minds Matter team can found be here.

The 5 Best Herpes Test Kits for 2024

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Testing for herpes used to mean a trip to the doctor’s office. But thanks to at-home herpes test kits, you can receive your results privately in just a few days.

Genital herpes is caused by two viruses called herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Globally, approximately 67% of people younger than 50 years oldhave HSV-1, while 13% of people ages 15 to 49 years have HSV-2.

An in-person appointment with a doctor could require a few different tests, including a virus antigen detection test, and/or an antibody test. This could require multiple pricks or trips to the doctor to accomplish.

An at-home test kit, on the other hand, can be done by yourself in private.

You can order a herpes test kit online — which may include a swab test or finger-prick blood test — and send the sample back in the mail. Most companies will send your results within 5 business days.

When researching at-home herpes tests, we looked for options with fast and accurate results and excellent customer feedback to compile our list of best buys.

Here are the criteria we considered:

FYI: We did include a couple of options that may call for you to leave home to pick up your test kit, so they may not fall 100% into the at-home category. But they are solid options, nonetheless.

When you join the LetsGetChecked subscription service, testing is easy and convenient as you receive everything you need to take your sample in a discrete kit through the mail. Plus, you’ll save 25% on the full price of the kits.

There are also helpful videos on the website that explain the instructions in clear, straightforward language so you can be confident you’re taking your sample correctly.

Like all other testing services on our list, LetsGetChecked is privacy and HIPAA compliant. Your results will be available online in 2 to 5 business days. Should your results be positive, you can contact one of the nursing team members who can help you determine a treatment plan.

One of our freelance writers, Breanna Mona, was given the opportunity to test the LetsGetChecked Herpes Test to see firsthand what the testing kit process was, whether the test was difficult to perform, and how long it would take to get the results. Here’s what she found. 

Breanna appreciated how straightforward the ordering process was and shared that “the process was simple and took very little time to complete.” After placing the order, it took about a week to for her to receive the kit, and the actual test results came back in 1 to 2 business days.

But she thought the blood collection process could be an issue for some users. Since Breanna had some experience testing out similar kits, she had already learned the best way to collect enough blood for the test. But she thought users who were new to finger-prick tests might find it difficult to collect enough blood.

Overall, Breanna said this test might be a good match for someone who wants to skip a visit to the doctor, someone who may not have insurance to cover a doctor’s visit, or anyone who would prefer to keep the test and results private.

One of our freelance writers, Breanna Mona, was given the opportunity to test the LetsGetChecked Herpes Test to see firsthand what the testing kit process was, whether the test was difficult to perform, and how long it would take to get the results. Here’s what she found. 

Breanna appreciated how straightforward the ordering process was and shared that “the process was simple and took very little time to complete.” After placing the order, it took about a week to for her to receive the kit, and the actual test results came back in 1 to 2 business days.

But she thought the blood collection process could be an issue for some users. Since Breanna had some experience testing out similar kits, she had already learned the best way to collect enough blood for the test. But she thought users who were new to finger-prick tests might find it difficult to collect enough blood.

Overall, Breanna said this test might be a good match for someone who wants to skip a visit to the doctor, someone who may not have insurance to cover a doctor’s visit, or anyone who would prefer to keep the test and results private.

STD Check has more than 4,500 testing sites nationwide. You can choose an individual test like HSV-1 or HSV-2 for $45 each. You can also order a 10-test panel, which includes the most common STIs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea.

The company is known for quick test results, which are sent to your online account in 1–2 days.

Once you complete your order online, you can select a local testing center based on your ZIP code. According to the company, in-person tests only take 5 minutes.

Your test and results will be completely ​​confidential. If your test results are positive, a physician can answer questions about your diagnosis.

For $169, people with a vagina can test for six common STIs at once, including HSV-2. Tests require both a finger prick and a vaginal swab.

For the same price, people with a penis can also test for herpes by purchasing the company’s STD Test for Men. It looks for the same six STIs as the other test, but sample types include a finger prick and a urine sample instead of a vaginal swab.

The kit includes prepaid shipping both ways, digital results, and detailed instructions. Once your kit arrives, you’ll need to register it on Everlywell’s website using the unique ID number included in your box.

In your kit, you’ll receive all you need to collect a finger-prick sample and either a vaginal swab packet or a urine cup and urine sample tube.

After shipping your sample, you’ll receive digital results on your account within a few days. If your results are positive, a board certified physician in your state will contact you at no additional cost to discuss your case and prescribe medication if necessary. Everlywell will also send you a personalized report detailing your results.

The site is HIPAA compliant and physician reviewed. This means your information is kept private, and medical information is approved by independent, board certified healthcare professionals.

With a finger prick, myLAB Box‘s at-home genital herpes test is pretty straightforward. Online lab results are provided within 2 to 5 days.

When you order a kit, you’ll receive materials to take your finger-prick sample in discreet packaging. It also comes with simple instructions and a prepaid envelope to send the sample off for testing.

If your results are positive, you can schedule a free consultation with one of myLAB Box’s doctors. The company works with labs that are certified by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments Act of 1988 (CLIA) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). Plus, the website itself is HIPAA compliant.

Testing is not yet available in New York. The company is waiting for its state application to be approved.

Priority STD has ​​a 4.8 rating on Trustpilot with more than 2,600 reviews.

You can order the Priority STD individual herpes test online or by phone, which normally requires a waiting period of at least 12 days after exposure.

After scheduling an order, you’ll be directed to find a lab near you. There are more than 4,000 labs to choose from, and you can use the site’s online scheduling system to make an appointment.

STI test results are available online through a secure patient login, typically within 1–3 days of collection.

Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). You can contract it by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the STI.

HSV-1 can also cause oral herpes, which may lead to sores or blisters around the mouth. You can contract oral herpes by kissing or engaging in oral sex with someone who already has it.

Some cases of oral herpes (HSV-1) can lead to genital herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2) since the virus can spread from the saliva of someone with the infection into your body through oral sex.

It generally takes 4–7 days for herpes symptoms to appear. In addition to sores or blisters — which are called herpes lesions — around your mouth or genitals, other possible symptoms may include:

Some people don’t experience any symptoms at all, but they can still transmit the infection to others.

The popularity of at-home testing has increased over the past several years, and there are many reasons for this.

At-home herpes testing offers convenience and privacy and can be less expensive than in-person testing. Instead of making an appointment with your doctor for an in-person visit, you order the test kit online, collect your sample at your convenience, and mail it to the lab.

Collection methods are typically the same with both kinds of testing — you’ll either do a genital swab, urine collection, or blood sample.

Keep in mind that some at-home test kits allow a finger-prick blood sample that you can collect at home. But for others, you may have to visit an in-person lab to have your blood drawn by a professional.

The downside of some at-home testing is that you may not have a doctor to help you interpret your results. In some cases, sample results are sent right to you, and it’s up to you to interpret the information.

With herpes testing, you’ll generally get a positive or negative, so the results aren’t as complicated as some other types of tests. But having a doctor’s guidance can be helpful if you don’t know the proper next steps to take.

That being said, we recommend that with all the at-home herpes tests you have a physician follow-up or phone consultation with the clinical team when you get your results.

If you receive a positive result, you should schedule an appointment with a doctor to talk through treatment and next steps, regardless of whether you received follow-up care.

It’s important to note that while testing for STIs is essential for your health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that only people with herpes symptoms test for it.

Otherwise, people without symptoms or exposure may have inaccurate test results. The CDC states that those with a low risk for infection have a higher chance of getting the wrong test results.

It’s also a good idea to test for herpes if you have been exposed to it or have been sexually active with a partner who has a history of herpes.

After receiving a positive test result, following up with your healthcare professional for fast treatment is the best next step.

If you’re considering getting tested for herpes, you may wonder how to choose between the various options. Here are some things to consider:

Your HSV test results will likely be reported as negative (sometimes called “normal”) or positive (sometimes called “abnormal”):

If your test results are positive for HSV, talk with a healthcare professional about your next steps.

Talk with a healthcare professional if you notice any sores on or around your genitals. Other STIs, like syphilis, can look like herpes but need different treatments. Treatment is needed to prevent complications and transmission.

Your doctor will let you know whether you should test for herpes or another STI, and they can help you get treatment if needed.

These tests use the same type of samples used in a doctor’s office. The accuracy of a herpes test primarily depends on when you get tested.

These tests use the same type of samples used in a doctor’s office. The accuracy of a herpes test primarily depends on when you get tested.

If you haven’t had an initial outbreak, the best time to get tested for herpes is 12 days after exposure. This is because your body will have had time to produce antibodies that can be detected on a test.

A blood test can determine whether you have these antibodies.

Swabs, on the other hand, can detect the virus directly from an active herpes lesion.

If you haven’t had an initial outbreak, the best time to get tested for herpes is 12 days after exposure. This is because your body will have had time to produce antibodies that can be detected on a test.

A blood test can determine whether you have these antibodies.

Swabs, on the other hand, can detect the virus directly from an active herpes lesion.

Although latex condoms can reduce the risk of transmitting STIs, condoms don’t prevent herpes transmission. This is because not all herpes sores occur in areas that are covered by a condom.

If you’re experiencing an active outbreak, you can prevent herpes transmission by:

Taking a daily antiviral herpes medication can also help prevent transmission, shorten outbreaks, and manage symptoms.

Although latex condoms can reduce the risk of transmitting STIs, condoms don’t prevent herpes transmission. This is because not all herpes sores occur in areas that are covered by a condom.

If you’re experiencing an active outbreak, you can prevent herpes transmission by:

Taking a daily antiviral herpes medication can also help prevent transmission, shorten outbreaks, and manage symptoms.

Yes. All the tests listed here are completely confidential and private.

Your results won’t be reported to your insurance company and, therefore, won’t be placed on your permanent medical records.

The package you receive will only have the shipping label — no test name or visuals that indicate what it’s for. These online platforms are also HIPAA compliant.

Yes. All the tests listed here are completely confidential and private.

Your results won’t be reported to your insurance company and, therefore, won’t be placed on your permanent medical records.

The package you receive will only have the shipping label — no test name or visuals that indicate what it’s for. These online platforms are also HIPAA compliant.

Many at-home services have independent physicians or nurses reach out to people with positive test results. They’ll discuss your results with you and suggest a plan of action, possibly including medication.

If your results are positive, it’s important to let any recent sexual partners know so they can also get tested.

Many at-home services have independent physicians or nurses reach out to people with positive test results. They’ll discuss your results with you and suggest a plan of action, possibly including medication.

If your results are positive, it’s important to let any recent sexual partners know so they can also get tested.

If you have a primary care doctor who you regularly visit, you can share your results with them to provide better insight into your next steps.

If you don’t have a primary care doctor, you can consult with a physician or nurse from the testing site about treatment options.

If you’ve been treating your symptoms with medication and are still in pain or discomfort, reach out to a healthcare professional.

If you have a primary care doctor who you regularly visit, you can share your results with them to provide better insight into your next steps.

If you don’t have a primary care doctor, you can consult with a physician or nurse from the testing site about treatment options.

If you’ve been treating your symptoms with medication and are still in pain or discomfort, reach out to a healthcare professional.

You’ll have to check with your insurance network to see whether at-home STI tests are covered.

Insurance does typically cover them, but sites like Everlywell recommend verifying the purchase with your insurance.

Additionally, some networks may reimburse you for your purchase.

However, most at-home testing sites aren’t currently partnered with any insurance companies, which means you’ll have to reach out yourself.

If you don’t have insurance, you’ll likely have to pay for the test out of pocket. Some sites like Priority STD don’t accept insurance, so it’s a flat rate of $99 regardless of your coverage.

You’ll have to check with your insurance network to see whether at-home STI tests are covered.

Insurance does typically cover them, but sites like Everlywell recommend verifying the purchase with your insurance.

Additionally, some networks may reimburse you for your purchase.

However, most at-home testing sites aren’t currently partnered with any insurance companies, which means you’ll have to reach out yourself.

If you don’t have insurance, you’ll likely have to pay for the test out of pocket. Some sites like Priority STD don’t accept insurance, so it’s a flat rate of $99 regardless of your coverage.

Yes. Research suggests that in couples where only one partner had genital herpes, the other partner contracted genital herpes within 1 year in only 5% to 10% of couples.

You can prevent transmission by:

Yes. Research suggests that in couples where only one partner had genital herpes, the other partner contracted genital herpes within 1 year in only 5% to 10% of couples.

You can prevent transmission by:

There’s no current cure for herpes, but treatment can prevent or shorten outbreaks and manage symptoms.

Getting tested can prevent oral herpes from spreading to the genital area. It can also protect your sexual partners from contracting the virus.

Bonnie Azoulay Elmann is a freelance writer with 6 years of experience. She’s written for Glamour, Marie Claire, Health, and more publications. You can find her work here.