Genital Herpes: Symptoms and Treatment

Genital herpes (the herpes simplex virus) is one of the world’s most common sexually transmitted diseases, spreading from person to person through skin and saliva contact during vaginal and anal intercourse and oral sex. It can be spread by both men and women engaging in heterosexual or homosexual contact.

There is no cure for herpes and once it infects an individual it remains in that person’s body for life, occasionally presenting symptoms during periods of fatigue or illness.

The symptoms often vary and an infection can be difficult to identify. In fact, the most common kinds of symptoms occur in only approximately 20% of cases and routine medical examinations rarely detect it.

Symptoms of Genital Herpes

Some of the most common signs of genital herpes infection include:

• A rash, sores or blisters around the vagina, vulva, penis, scrotum or anus.
• Pains in or around the genitals.
• Itching, burning or tingling in or around the genitals, or an unusual discharge.
• A burning sensation when urinating.
• Swollen lymph nodes in the groin.

Note that the presence of these kinds of symptoms does not always indicate a herpes infection. They could indicate the presence of any one of several less serious medical conditions, such as a yeast infection, an injury, a urinary tract infection, insect bites, ingrown hairs, or hemorrhoids.

If you have any of these symptoms, your doctor will usually choose one of several kinds of tests to try and identify the infection. A serology test is often the most suitable for those with mild symptoms or none at all, and it involves taking a small blood sample and testing it to find out if it contains herpes antibodies. A person exhibiting obvious sores may be tested using a viral culture, in which the doctor dabs the sore with a cotton bud and sends it to a laboratory for analysis.

If you are planning to have intimate contact with a herpes sufferer, or you are yourself infected, you should use barrier protection before any kind of sexual contact occurs. Condoms do not always prevent infection. If you have had intimate contact with a herpes sufferer, or you exhibit any of the symptoms listed above, let your doctor know immediately.