Have a sore right now? Get it swabbed today.
Same-day HSV PCR in Houston — walk in, no appointment, no insurance, no referral. Up to 40% less than urgent care. Results at 4:30 PM; if treatment is clinically appropriate, a licensed physician from our partner network sees you 4:30–6:00 PM.
Same-day HSV PCR in Houston — walk in, no appointment, no insurance, no referral. Up to 40% less than urgent care. Results at 4:30 PM; if treatment is clinically appropriate, a licensed physician from our partner network sees you 4:30–6:00 PM.
3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–5:00 PM · Sample by 1:00 PM · Your slot with the doctor is held when we take your sample
Medically reviewed by our MD Laboratory Director (a role required by CLIA; the director’s name is on file in the CMS CLIA database, #45D2048957, and can be verified independently) · Editorial policy
The same sequence wherever it appears: tingling → a cluster of small clear blisters on a red base → shallow painful ulcers → yellow-brown crust → healing without a scar, over roughly 8 to 12 days. Oral HSV usually sits at the lip border. Genital HSV appears on the genitals, buttocks or thighs and may come with painful urination and swollen groin nodes in a first episode.
Have a sore right now? Swab it today while it is fresh — lesion PCR is the most reliable herpes test there is, and it loses sensitivity as the sore crusts over.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892
📞 Call (713) 266-0808
📱 Text (713) 832-8892
📞 Call (713) 266-0808
3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome
Oral vs. genital: same virus, different address
| Oral (usually HSV-1) | Genital (HSV-2 or HSV-1) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Lip border, around the mouth, gums, hard palate | Genitals, buttocks, thighs |
| First episode | Can involve fever, swollen nodes | Often more severe — painful urination, fever, swollen groin nodes |
| Recurrence | Same spot, triggered by stress, illness, sunlight | HSV-2 recurs more often than genital HSV-1 |
| Test | Lesion PCR while the sore is fresh | |
Stage by stage
| Stage | Appearance | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Prodrome | Tingling, itching, burning — nothing visible | 0 |
| Blister | Cluster of clear vesicles on a red base | 1–2 · swab now |
| Ulcer | Open, shallow, painful, weeping | 2–4 · most contagious |
| Crust | Yellow-brown scab | 4–8 · PCR less sensitive |
| Heal | Pink new skin, no scar | 8–12 |
Commonly mistaken for herpes
| Condition | Difference |
|---|---|
| Pimple / folliculitis | Single, white head, no tingling — compare |
| Canker sore | Soft tissue inside the mouth, no blister phase, not contagious |
| Shingles | Blisters follow a nerve band on one side of the body |
| Syphilis chancre | Painless, single, firm ulcer — and it needs blood serology, not a herpes swab. Syphilis testing |
| Contact dermatitis | Itchy, diffuse, follows contact with an irritant |
A painless sore is a red flag for something other than herpes — syphilis in particular. That single distinction has changed the course of care for a lot of people.
Do not accept an HSV IgM blood test. CDC does not recommend it — it generates false positives and unnecessary panic. If there is a sore, swab the sore. See lesion PCR vs. antibody testing.
We name drugs, never doses. Antiviral therapy for HSV follows CDC guidance; what you take is decided by a licensed physician who has examined you.
The single most useful thing on this page. If you have a sore right now, get it swabbed today — lesion PCR identifies HSV and types it (HSV-1 vs HSV-2). Sensitivity falls as the sore dries, so the best day to test is the day it appears. Sample by 1:00 PM → result at 4:30 PM → licensed partner-network physician 4:30–6:00 PM if treatment is clinically appropriate. Same day. Walk in, no appointment, no insurance. Text (713) 832-8892.
FAQ
- Can herpes be cured?
- No — it is managed. Antiviral therapy substantially reduces outbreaks and transmission, and most people live entirely normal lives with it.
- Can I have it without symptoms?
- Yes. Asymptomatic shedding is real, which is why “no sore, no risk” is not accurate.
- Which test should I get?
- If you have a sore: lesion PCR, today. If you do not: talk to the physician about whether serology will actually answer your question — routine population screening is not recommended by CDC.
- Can I be seen the same day?
- Yes — partner-network physician 4:30–6:00 PM for patients tested here that day.
The sore will crust over in a few days — and the test gets less reliable as it does.
Walk in today. Result at 4:30 PM. Licensed partner-network physician 4:30–6:00 PM if you need treatment. No appointment, no insurance — Save up to 40% compared to urgent care.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 — fastest
📞 Call (713) 266-0808
Walk in today. Result at 4:30 PM. Licensed partner-network physician 4:30–6:00 PM if you need treatment. No appointment, no insurance — Save up to 40% compared to urgent care.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 — fastest
📞 Call (713) 266-0808
3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Mon–Fri 9–5 · Walk-ins welcome · CLIA #45D2048957 · CAP #8722734