How reliable are Genital Herpes blood tests?

I've had different sex partners in the past and I've had 2 blood tests for genital herpes a year apart, both of which came out negative. I've never had any noticable symptoms of genital herpes.

What are the chances that the blood test results could have been false negatives and I actually have it, since people can have it without knowing it?

The short answer is that herpes blood tests are pretty reliable, but it depends on what type of testing kit the laboratory used.

A herpes blood test can only tell you whether you have been infected with herpes simplex 1 or herpes simplex 2, but can't tell you where you have that infection, that is whether its around the mouth (a cold sore) or genital area (genital herpes).

For more information on the reliability of the different tests try the link below. The rate of false negatives is the "sensitivity" of the test. The higher the sensitivity the less likely a negative is a false negative. Source(s): http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/4510...

Well I have herpes and when I got tested (blood test) my doctor told me that the test was reliable on telling you have herpes but not that reliable for type specific (HSV-1 the one known to give cold sores and HSV-2 known for genital herpes) If one of you previous partners has herpes and you think you may have it go get tested again in say a month or so if you used protection then you cant get it given that the condom worked and didnt have a whole in it or what have you.