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Genital Herpes |
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Genital Herpes Information
Genital herpes is a rather common viral disease that is transmitted sexually, and typically causes itching and inflammation along with small blisters in the genital area, including the thighs and the buttocks, that are similar to cold sores.
In some cases, there may be additional symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, and headaches. Genital herpes in women also tends to result in pain while urinating.
However, in a majority of cases, there are no symptoms, or the symptoms are very mild, due to which many people who have genital herpes never detect it. Fortunately, genital herpes is not a serious disease; however people unaware that they are affected run the risk of infecting other people unknowingly.
Genital Herpes Cause and TransmissionHerpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus, of which there are two types — herpes simplex virus type 1 or HSV-1 and herpes simplex virus type 2 or HSV-2. Both types can cause genital herpes, but HSV-1 usually only causes cold sores, while HSV-2 is the virus that causes genital herpes. As mentioned before, the disease is transmitted sexually — the virus usually enters the body through microscopic tears in the skin, typically during sexual intercourse. If symptoms appear, they usually appear within a week of transmission of the virus, starting with itching, followed by appearance of the blisters.
How Genital Herpes is TreatedAs yet, there is no cure for genital herpes — there is no treatment that can completely get rid of the virus. However, the disease can be managed by using certain antiviral medications that are able to reduce the intensity of the symptoms. Besides this, topical anesthetics can be used to treat genital herpes symptomatically. Regular treatment with antiviral medication is particularly important, because it also reduces the chances of the virus being transmitted to your partner. Prevention of genital herpes is extremely important, more so because it is much more possible than treatment of the disease. As with any other sexually transmitted disease, prevention is extremely important and can best be achieved by safe sex — limit the number of partners and use a condom for any kind of sexual intercourse if there is any chance at all that either one of you is infected. You can quite safely have a normal sex life if you or your partner has genital herpes, but you should avoid having sex during an outbreak of herpes. Finally, if you are pregnant and have herpes, make sure that you inform your doctor, who will be able to provide you with the necessary genital herpes information and guide you to a safe and healthy delivery. |
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