Genital Herpes
Overview: Genital herpes is a common disease caused by a virus. The virus is called the herpes simplex virus, or HSV. It causes painful blisters that break open and form sores in the genital area. Herpes is very contagious when you have sores. It may also be possible for the virus to spread even if you have no symptoms, or for up to 3 months after the sores have healed.
You can become infected with the virus by contact with broken blisters or sores on the genitals, mouth, or rectal area of an infected person. The infection can be passed from person to person during sex. You may spread it with your hands if the virus gets on your hands. Once you are infected, the virus stays in your body for the rest of your life.
Usually the virus is inactive, which means it is staying in certain cells and not causing symptoms. However, the virus may become active and cause sores again. The sores may come back often. Outbreaks of sores may occur with physical stress, such as wearing tight clothing, having sex without enough lubrication, or having other illnesses. Emotional stress or menstruation may also cause an outbreak.
Symptoms usually occur within 2 weeks after the virus first enters your body. They may include: painful sores (blisters) on the genitals, thighs, or buttocks. Other symptoms include: vaginal discharge, pain when you urinate or have intercourse, trouble urinating, itching in the genital or anal area, general discomfort, such as tiredness and muscle aches, fever (usually only with the first outbreak of blisters) tender, enlarged lymph nodes in the groin. The sores usually start to heal after about 5 days. They generally disappear in 1 to 3 weeks. Sometimes they may last for as long as 6 weeks, especially when a woman also has a bacterial or yeast infection of the vagina. The sores rarely leave scars. Some people infected with herpes have no symptoms. About half of herpes-infected people have repeat outbreaks of sores. These recurrences tend to be milder than the first bout of herpes and the sores heal more quickly.
What Thielen Student Health Center Can Do For You: Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and examine you. Cells or liquids from one of the sores will be tested in the lab for the virus. Follow the full treatment prescribed by your health care provider.
Your health care provider may prescribe medicine to relieve the symptoms more quickly. Even though you are taking the medicine, the infection will still be very contagious as long as you have sores, but the medicine may decrease viral shedding and make you less contagious. If you are pregnant, discuss the use of these medicines with your provider. Pain medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help relieve pain and fever. Sitting in a bathtub of warm water 2 or 3 times a day may also help soothe the pain.
Resources
Last update: 10 Apr 2008
For more information, please contact:
Iowa State University
Thielen Student Health Center
515-294-5801
