Genital Herpes Cure

Symptoms

Most people infected with HSV don't know they have it because they don't have any signs or symptoms or because their signs and symptoms are so mild.

When present, symptoms may begin about two to 12 days after exposure to the virus. If you experience symptoms of genital herpes, they may include:

1. Pain or itching. You may experience pain and tenderness in your genital area until the infection clears.
2. Small red bumps or tiny white blisters. These may appear a few days to a few weeks after infection.
3. Ulcers. These may form when blisters rupture and ooze or bleed. Ulcers may make it painful to urinate.
4. Scabs. Skin will crust over and form scabs as ulcers heal.

Differences in symptom location

Sores appear where the infection entered your body. You can spread the infection by touching a sore and then rubbing or scratching another area of your body, including your eyes

Men and women can develop sores on the

1. Buttocks and thighs
2. Anus
3. Mouth
4. Urethra (the tube that allows urine to drain from the bladder to the outside)

Women can also develop sores in or on the:

Vaginal area

External genitals

Cervix

men can also develop sores in or on the:

1. penis
2. Scrotum

Causes

Two types of herpes simplex virus infections can cause genital herpes:

HSV-1. This is the type that usually causes cold sores or fever blisters around your mouth. HSV-1 is often spread through skin-to-skin contact, though it can be spread to your genital area during oral sex. Recurrences are much less frequent than they are with HSV-2 infection.

HSV-2. This is the type that commonly causes genital herpes. The virus spreads through sexual contact and skin-to-skin contact. HSV-2 is very common and highly contagious, whether or not you have an open sore.

Because the virus dies quickly outside of the body, it's nearly impossible to get the infection through contact with toilets, towels or other objects used by an infected person.

Risk Factors

Your risk of becoming infected with genital herpes may increase if you:

Are a woman. Women are more likely to have genital herpes than are men. The virus is sexually transmitted more easily from men to women than it is from women to men.

Have multiple sexual partners. Each additional sexual partner raises your risk of being exposed to the virus that causes genital herpes.

Prevention

The suggestions for preventing genital herpes are the same as those for preventing other sexually transmitted infections: Abstain from sexual activity or limit sexual contact to only one person who is infection-free. Short of that, you can:

Use, or have your partner use, a latex condom during every sexual contact

Avoid intercourse if either partner has an outbreak of herpes in the genital area or anywhere else

Pregnancy precautions

If you're pregnant and know you have genital herpes, tell your doctor. If you think you might have genital herpes, ask to be tested for it.

Your doctor may recommend that you start taking herpes antiviral medications late in pregnancy to try to prevent an outbreak around the time of delivery. If you're having an outbreak when you go into labor, your doctor will probably suggest a cesarean section to reduce the risk of passing the virus to your baby.