Topic: Genital Herpes
Description
The herpes simplex virus causes genital herpes. There are many types of herpes viruses. Both herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1) and herpes simplex type 2 (HSV2) can infect the genital area.
HSV 1 commonly causes ‘cold sores’ and tends to occur in the upper half of the body, mainly around the lips and mouth. HSV 1 can also infect the genital area. HSV 2 is more commonly the cause of genital herpes.
After the herpes virus has entered the body, it travels up nerve fibres and lives in nerve cells around the spinal cord in the lower back. Usually it lies dormat. It is not completely understood as to what causes the virus to reactivate and cause blisters. Some factors that may trigger an outbreak include menstruation (periods), emotional upset ad sexual activity. Sunburn can trigger a herpes episode (or cold sore) on the face or lips.
Apart from these factors, it is important to get enough sleep, have a healthy diet and to keep your stress levels at a manageable level.
Symptoms
Both viruses are passed from one person to another by close body contact. This means that:
- a cold sore on a lip could spread to the genital area of a sexual partner (on or around the sex organs) as a result of oral sex
- genital herpes may be passed on to the mouth of a sexual partner through oral sex, causing oral ‘cold sores’ – although this is not very common
- genital herpes can be spread through the rubbing of genital skin during sexual activity.
Transmission
The risk of herpes spreading from person to person is high just before, during and for the week following an outbreak of herpes. However, the herpes virus can be passed from person to person without any active ulcer or blister being present. This means that even when a person is free of symptoms, the virus can still spread to another person if the infected person happens to be ‘shedding’ herpes virus at the time of sexual intercourse.
An outbreak of herpes usually occurs in several stages over seven to ten days. Usual stages are:
- a mild tingling or itching, which lasts 12 to 24 hours
- small blisters form and there may be swelling and redness around the blisters, which may be irritating, painful and sore to touch
- after a couple of days, the blisters break and form shallow ulcers
- the glands in the groin may become swollen and tender
- the ulcers heal, leaving a patch of red or peeling skin for a few days.
Treatment
Presently, there is no cure for herpes. However there are medications available to treat herpes. If taken during an outbreak, these treatments reduce the duration and severity of a herpes outbreak. If you experience frequent outbreaks of herpes, you may want to consider starting a course of antivirals - taking an antiviral tablet continuously will stop recurrent outbreaks occurring while the tablets are taken. Antivirals do not kill the virus though they decrease the amount of virus being produced and therefore decrease the likelihood of an outbreak.
While you have a genital herpes outbreak, it is also be helpful to:
- keep the area as dry as possible
- wear loose, comfortable clothing (like a sarong)
- anaesthetic gels to help reduce pain (discuss this with your doctor as using creams around the area can irritate the genital skin).
- avoid using soap on the affected area, and bathe the area with salt water when lesions are present.
Health Outcome
HSV 1 and HSV 2 are very common in the community. It has been estimated that perhaps one in five adults have been infected with HSV 2. Most people who have herpes never know it.
If you are exposed to HSV 1 or HSV 2 during sexual or intimate skin to skin contact, there are three possible outcomes:
- 1. Most of the time there will be no signs or symptoms. you will not know that you have the herpes virus and will never experience outbreaks of herpes blisters in your genital area. If this happens, you may pass on the virus to your sexual partner without knowing.
- 2. The second possibility is that you will get what is called a primary episode of genital herpes. This can be painful and you may feel generally unwell. SOmethimes people have fevers and pains in the joints (similar to the flu). Someone with a primary episode of genital herpes may have painful blisters in their genital area, which then turn not ulcers. The ulcers appear in the vaginal opening or anus, or on the penis and/or scrotum. it can be painful to pass urine or pass a bowel motion. In this situation, it may take more than three weeks for the blisters to heal and other discomforts to completely subside. Fortunately, there are medications available that may help to reduce these symptoms. It is worthwhile to attend a sexual health clinic or your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any blisters around the genital area.
- 3. Some people who are infected with the herpes virus will not experience the level of discomfort and illness of the primary episode described above. However, they will notice a smaller outbreak of blisters and irritation is the genial area.
It isn’t possible to predict how often people will have outbreaks. Some people may only ever have one outbreak and others no more thatn two or three. Only a minority have frequent recurrences. Generally, as the years go by the frequency of outbreaks decrease.
The amount of time between each outbreak of the herpes virus will be different for each person. In general, after the initial outbreak of blisters, each recurrence is less severe and heals more rapidly. Usually a longer period of time passes before the next outbreak.
Prevention
A person with herpes needs to be aware of symptoms of an outbreak to protect partners from infection. However, it is important to note that herpes can be passed on even if there are no symptoms or visible signs of an outbreak on the skin.
To help reduce the risk of transmission:
- do not let herpes sores come into contact with another person
- avoid kissing and oral sex if there are herpes lesions on the mouth or lips
- avoid sex during an outbreak of genital herpes or as soon as you become aware of symptoms.
These suggestions should be followed until one week after the sores have completely gone.
Condoms help to prevent the transmission of herpes. However, because herpes is transmitted by skin to skin contact, transmission can still occur even when condoms are used because the condom may not cover affected areas.
If you are giving a man oral sex (his penis in your mouth), then he will need to wear a condom. It does not matter whether you are male or female, if you put your mouth in contact with your partner’s anus or vulva while having sex, you will need to use a dental dam.
Help and Assistance
For more information on genital herpes, you can talk to:
- your local doctor
- your local sexual health clinic
- your local family planning clinic.
Other Resources
Queensland Health Sexual Health website
- Animated Movie - Herpes
Related Content
Herpes and sexual relationships fact sheet
Genital herpes and pregnancy fact sheet
Last Updated: 1st August, 2008
Date Valid to: 8th November, 2006
