Better2Know Sexual health & STIs

Herpes Simplex Type 1 and 2 (Blood) Test

A clinic blood test that checks for Herpes 1 and 2 IgG antibodies, suited to anyone who wants to know their herpes status even without symptoms.

Sample
Blood
Collection
Venous draw at clinic or nurse visit; also home kit £70
Results in
2 days
Biomarkers
2
Tests for
  • Herpes 1
  • Herpes 2

Test specifications

Provider
Better2Know
Sample type
blood
Collection method
venous draw at clinic or nurse visit; also home kit £70
Turnaround time
2 days
Biomarkers tested
2
At-home test
No
Doctor reviewed
No
Gender focus
Both

What's tested

2 biomarkers as listed by Better2Know.

  • Herpes 1
  • Herpes 2

About this test

This test checks for IgG antibodies to Herpes 1 and Herpes 2, the type of antibody your body produces in the weeks following infection. Because it looks for long-term antibodies rather than a current outbreak, you do not need to have symptoms to take it, and the provider positions it as suited to anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to the virus.

The same two markers are available from Better2Know as an at-home finger-prick kit for £70, £75 less than this clinic-based version. The trade-off is that here a clinician takes a venous blood sample for you, rather than you collecting a finger-prick sample yourself, and turnaround is two working days either way based on the data we hold.

It scores in the middle for value for money against similarly sized sexual health tests we track, and well for collection convenience since a home nurse visit is offered alongside the clinic option. It scores only moderately on results and follow-up, since results are not reviewed by a doctor as standard.

Who is it for?

This is a reasonable choice if you would rather have a clinician take your blood sample than collect it yourself, or if attending a clinic appointment suits you better than a postal kit. It does not require you to have symptoms, so it works for general screening as well as after a specific concern.

If cost matters more than having a clinician take the sample, Better2Know's own Herpes Home Test Kit checks the same two markers, Herpes 1 and 2, for £70 rather than £145, using a self-collected finger-prick sample instead. If you currently have symptoms, a swab-based test or a GP visit may be more appropriate than this antibody test.

How it works

A clinician takes a venous blood sample at a Better2Know clinic in an appointment lasting around ten minutes; a home nurse visit is also offered. The sample is sent to the provider's laboratory for IgG antibody analysis, with results available within two working days. Results are uploaded to your secure online patient area, and you can choose to be notified by phone, email or SMS. Results are not reviewed by a doctor as standard.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Clinician takes the blood sample for you, rather than a self-collected finger-prick.
  • Home nurse visit offered as an alternative to attending a clinic.
  • Does not require you to have symptoms to take the test.
  • Results available within two working days.

Cons

  • £75 more than Better2Know's own at-home finger-prick version of the same test.
  • No doctor review of results as standard.
  • Requires a venous blood draw rather than a simpler finger-prick sample.

Our editorial score

Compare Health Test Score Clinic herpes blood test with a cheaper home-kit option
Editorial confidence: 9.0/10

This clinic blood test checks for Herpes 1 and 2 IgG antibodies and does not require you to have symptoms. At £145 it costs £75 more than Better2Know's own at-home finger-prick version of the same test, though it includes a clinician taking the sample rather than you collecting it yourself.

Score breakdown

  • Clarity and documentation 9.0/10

    The listing publishes a detailed description, the full biomarker list, a stated turnaround, clear collection options, the sample type; it does not state what the report looks like.

  • Clinical depth 7.6/10

    2 biomarkers, placing it in the 51st percentile of sexual health tests we track.

  • Collection convenience 9.0/10

    A blood sample taken at home by a visiting nurse or phlebotomist; with a venous or clinic option as well; a home nurse visit is offered; results in around 2 days, in line with or faster than similar tests.

  • Results and follow-up 3.0/10

    Results are not doctor-reviewed and no consultation is included; the provider does not describe the report format.

  • Trust signals 6.5/10

    Trustpilot 4.2 from 775 reviews; CQC registered; trading 18+ years.

  • Value for money 6.5/10

    £145.00 against a median of £145.00 for the 108 similarly sized sexual health tests we track (-0%).

Calculated 13 September 2026 from the facts we hold about this test and provider, using our published scoring formula. Scores are not hand-edited.

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