Genital herpes is a highly contagious and common infection that is usually spread through sex. The infection is caused by the herpes simplex virus-1 or the herpes simplex virus-2. It is responsible for cold sores and the treatment includes medicines that help the sores heal faster and also prevent outbreaks.
Symptoms
At times you may never notice symptoms from an infection even if you can still pass it on. However, symptoms may also be noticed within a few days to a number of weeks after the initial contact. You may also not have an outbreak of symptoms for many months or even years after you become infected. Symptoms that occur immediately after a person is infected may be severe.
The following are the symptoms of genital herpes in both men and women:
1. Genital herpes may start as small blisters which eventually break open and then produce painful raw sores that can scab and heal within a few weeks. These sores and blisters may be accompanied by symptoms that are flu-like with swollen lymph nodes and fever.
2. There may be red, cracked and raw areas around your genitals that may not be painful ,tingle or itch.
3. You may have tingling and itching around your anal or genital region.
4. There may be small blisters which break open resulting in painful sores around your genitals or on your thighs, buttocks or even rectal area.
5. Pain may accompany the passing of urine due to the sores, this is more common in women.
6. The infection may also cause headaches.
7. There may be backaches.
8. The infection cause flu-like symptoms that include fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes.
These symptoms can also be produced when you have certain infections like bacterial infections, vaginal yeast infections or even bladder infections. However you should be checked by your a health care provider to confirm by way of a physical exam together with a blood test and swab test.
Some of the tests that the medical provider will do include getting a sample from a sore that appears to be a genital herpes sore and then sending it to a lab for testing.
A blood test can also be done where the blood test looks for the antibodies to the herpes virus which the immune system would have made during the infection. If antibodies to the herpes simplex virus, HSV-2, are present in the blood then there is a probability that you have genital herpes.
If the blood test shows antibodies for the other type of herpes virus, HSV-1, then it means you may be having oral or genital herpes. This is because oral herpes can be spread during oral sex to the genitals.
Genital herpes has no cure but the symptoms can be prevented or lessened with treatment. This treatment also reduces the risk of infecting others and may include antiviral medications which will help reduce or prevent the pain as well as discomfort that comes from an outbreak of symptoms.
Even with medication, some people have four to five outbreaks in a year, but as time goes on the body builds up immunity to the virus, causing the outbreaks to become less frequent or stop altogether.
The symptoms of genital herpes can be triggered by fatigue ,sexual intercourse, surgery, illness, menstruation, trauma and stress.
During an outbreak, there are certain things you can do to relieve the severity and discomfort brought by the symptoms. These are:
- Taking painkillers like acetaminophen or aspirin.
- Using warm salty water to bathe the sore areas.
- Wearing loose fitting clothes so that you allow air to circulate around the sores.
- Putting an ice pack that is wrapped in a piece of cloth or towel on the affected area.
- Getting plenty of rest.
You can also do the following things so that you avoid passing the virus to other people and to other parts of your body:
- If you or your partner has cold sores, avoid kissing.
- Do not engage in oral sex when you or your partner has genital or oral sores.
- Avoid anal or genital contact if there are any sores present.
- When you touch any infected areas wash your hands with soap and water.
When the genital herpes virus passes from one person to the other through sexual contact, it enters through the skin and then travels along nerve paths. In the nerves it may remain inactive and stay there indefinitely.
Once in a while the virus may become active and when this happens, the virus will travel back to the surface of the skin along the nerve path where any additional virus is shed. At this stage the virus may cause symptoms or it may also remain undetected.
Genital herpes may not be a serious threat to your health, apart from the discomfort. It is therefore more of a psychological stressor which can cause anxiety, have an effect on your self-esteem and also interfere with your sense of intimacy and security. However, in some cases the complications can be serious and life-threatening.
The following are ways to reduce your risk of getting genital herpes:
1. Every time you have sex, use a condom.
2. Find out from your partner if they have ever had a sexually transmitted disease because people who have a history of STDs will most likely get genital herpes.
3. If your partner’s sexual history indicates that they have had many sexual partners, it is likely they have the herpes virus.
4. Avoid having multiple sexual partners ,the fewer partners you have in your life the less likely for you to have the herpes virus.
5. Avoid sex with a partner who has sores on their genitals.
6. Do not have oral sex with somebody who has a cold sore. This is because oral herpes which is the cause of sores in the mouth can be passed through oral sex to the genitals.
7. If you feel that your partner is at a high risk for genital herpes, you can request him or her to be tested.
8. Avoid sex when you are intoxicated because illicit drugs and alcohol lower your inhibitions as well as impair your judgment.
9. If you want to be 100% sure that you do not have genital herpes, the best thing is to abstain from sex until you get a life-long monogamous partner who will also not be having it.
When you discover that your partner has genital herpes, it is important to support and accept them. You can also think of ways by which you can be intimate without the risk of an infection.
Reducing this risk of infection may be by using condoms as well as avoiding sex when your partner has symptoms.