Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection that causes herpetic sores that form painful blisters that can break and ooze fluid to cause agony to the infected person. Studies show there are two types of herpes simplex viruses: type 1 and type 2, with the latter being the most common cause of genital herpes. The virus enters the skin abrasion or mucous membrane through the mucosa. The virus can be present in blisters or ulcers and moves from one person to another during sexual activity. Anyone can contract HSV, regardless of age, based on exposure.
The chance of contracting genital HSV remains high if you have unprotected sexual intercourse without using condoms or other barrier methods. However, these methods won’t always cover the infection site since sores can appear on the buttocks or inner thighs.
Risk factors
Unprotected sexual intercourse is the leading cause of this infection. A person with a habit of unprotected sexual intercourse and multiple partners will have a high risk of contracting this disease. Sometimes, the risk of infection tends to be high because an infected partner doesn't undergo treatment. Finding a permanent cure is difficult, but treatment may help you control the disease.
Genital herpes: Signs and symptoms
People hardly notice any signs or symptoms and thus may not be aware that they are carriers. The first outbreak will occur two days to three weeks after having sex. The virus may break from its hiatus from time to time.
Initial Signs of Genital Herpes in Women
One of the initial symptoms of genital herpes in women is itching or tingling skin, leading to herpes sores near the vagina or anus. They might also have flu-like symptoms, including fever and fatigue. Headaches, body aches, and lymph node swelling are other common signs of an HSV infection. Remember, it’s possible to have an asymptomatic HSV-2 infection.
Initial Signs of Genital Herpes in Men
Men's herpes sores manifest as tiny red pimples or white blisters that can form anywhere. If one of these blisters ruptures, it develops into a painful ulcer and oozes fluid or causes pain during urination if it is around the genitals. Other potential symptoms include itching and pain in your genitals, and flu-like symptoms include body aches and fever.
Five Things You Should Know About Genital Herpes
1. Shows Mild Symptoms or is Asymptomatic
It’s known as the asymptomatic shedding of the virus. Using a condom during sexual activity will reduce the risk but not eliminate it. The virus affects its transmission through skin-to-skin contact. Most people have no idea about the disease because they are asymptomatic.
After the virus has infected a person, it takes two to ten days for the symptoms to appear. Early signs include a tingling or itching feeling in the genital area or pain in the buttocks or down the leg. Blisters typically appear around the genitals or rectum.
2. Can be Controlled But Cannot be Cured
It's difficult to cure herpes, but medicines can prevent or shorten an outbreak or contain it. Anti-herpes medication, such as valacyclovir, can be taken daily to help prevent the spread of infection. Suppressive therapies may be helpful for patients who have frequent infections. A patient who experiences frequent outbreaks during treatment can take a small amount of anti-herpes medication. Long-term medication is unlikely to cure the disease completely.
3. Higher Probability of False negatives in the Herpes Test
The herpes simplex antibody test is a blood test that checks for herpes antibodies. The test can detect antibodies for both herpes simplex viruses. One of the biggest problems in the diagnosis of herpes is the probability of false negatives. There are numerous reasons for the culture to be negative; two primary reasons among many are the inadequacy of the sample and the long transport time between the clinic and the laboratory.
4. Routine Testing for Herpes is Not Advised
Testing for herpes is performed only on symptomatic individuals. There are several reasons associated with this. Asymptomatic herpes does not change a person's sexual pattern or prevent herpes from spreading. Aside from that, a false positive can be stressful because herpes is a chronic and incurable disease. Thirdly, there are no adverse outcomes from genital herpes in healthy individuals, and there are no long-term complications. More often than not, the stigma and shame of genital herpes are more overwhelming than the infection itself.
5. Pregnancy and Herpes Complications are Rare
Herpes has little effect on pregnant women. Herpes infections rarely get passed on to babies during childbirth. Studies show there are no reasons for a woman to have abnormal pregnancies or an inability to labor naturally if the virus is present in the body—unless there are signs of an outbreak shortly before she goes into labor. Herpes infections can be life-threatening for newborn babies, and many women with genital herpes tend to be afraid of passing herpes viruses on to their children while giving birth. But this rarely occurs.
Preventive Measures to Lower Your Chances of Transmitting HSV:
Preventive measures with antiviral medication may be an option for people with genital herpes who experience it frequently. This medication reduces the activity of the virus, lowering the risk of infecting others. Some of the preventive measures are:
- Avoid sharing a razor or toothbrush.
- If you have oral herpes simplex virus, avoid oral sex or kissing once you notice early symptoms until the sores have completely healed.
- If you’re living with genital herpes simplex virus, avoid all skin-to-genital contact once you notice early symptoms until the sores have completely healed.
- Following contact with sores, thoroughly wash your hands or treat them with medicine.
- You can apply medication with cotton swabs to reduce contact with the sores.
Complications.
The majority of genital herpes causes only superficial soreness. It can result in serious complications that may affect another body part, but it is rarely possible.
- Other sexually transmitted infections - Patients having genital sores have a high risk of getting other sexually transmitted diseases.
- Newborn infection - A baby infected with herpes simplex virus during delivery has a chance to be immunocompromised.
- Internal inflammatory disease - Herpes simplex virus infection causes swelling and inflammation associated with internal organs related to urination and sexual activity.
Home Remedies
Applying a warm or cold compress with a clean cloth can help relieve the pain and discomfort associated with herpes blisters, and vitamin B can help boost your immune system. It will get vitamin B from eggs, spinach, and green beans.
Conclusion
It is essential to understand that most infections spontaneously subside without medication. Delayed treatment has no impact on the duration or severity of symptoms. While infected and symptomatic, the patient should wash their hands and avoid close contact with others. Infected people should also avoid engaging in sexual intercourse, even with barriers. Immunocompromised people and newborns have a high risk of herpes becoming a life-threatening infection. A regular follow-up with your healthcare professional can reduce the risk of contracting othes.