Genital herpes is a STD or sexually transmitted disease that is caused by a herpes virus type 1 or type 2. The most common cases of genital herpes are caused by the type 2 viruses. The signs of this virus might not occur right away, but when they do it can be noted that there are one or more blisters around the genital area. These blisters tend to break, and leave open ulcers or sores behind where the blisters once were. The ulcers usually take around two to four weeks to heal completely the first time that they appear. More than one outbreak can occur over weeks or months, but the more it happens, the worse it will be. The outbreak will be less severe, and shorter than the first almost always. The infection stays in the body indefinitely, the outbreaks and disease can ultimately be controlled using medications.
The Spreading of the Genital Herpes Virus
The genital herpes infection is the most common throughout the United States of America. One out of six people in the United States between the ages of 14 to 50 years old have the genital type 2 infections. The percentage of people who have genital herpes has remained stable over the past 10 years or so. The herpes type 2 infection is the most common in women, and around one out of five women have the infection. It is more likely for a woman to catch the virus from a male, than a male to catch the virus from a female. This is due to the opening of the women, and the male having a closed genital area. The herpes virus can still be transmitted to the male from the female, it less common but not unheard of.
Catching Genital Herpes
The genital herpes virus can be transmitted from the sores that the virus causes. It can be released through outbreaks in the skin, even if there is not a sore present at the time. Usually, genital herpes can only be transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person. If the person does not know they are infected, and there are no sores on the person, the infection can spread to the person who does not have the virus. The genital herpes virus type 1 is more common in the mouth and lips of an infected person. It can be found on the genitals, but it has to be through oral transmission to the genital area from the infected person. The outbreaks from the type 1 virus occur less frequently than the type 2 virus.
Signs and Symptoms of the Virus
A lot of people that have the herpes virus 2 are not aware that they have the infection in their systems. The first signs and symptoms that appear in the beginning are the most pronounced, and this first outbreak usually occurs within two weeks once the virus is transmitted. The sores that appear will usually heal within two to four weeks within the breakout. A second outbreak of sores and blisters may appear after the first one. You might also experience flu like symptoms during the beginning with a fever, the chills, and swollen glands. A lot of times however, people do not present any symptoms and might have not noticed any changes. This can cause complications since they do not know they have the virus so they cannot be treated for it. They might mistake the sores or blisters for a skin infection or condition.
When you’re diagnosed with genital herpes, you will usually have around four to five outbreaks a year. Some people may experience more or less depending on their individual case. Over time, the outbreaks may decrease in frequency. Sometimes the first episode or outbreak might not occur until years after the person has contracted the infection.
The Complications Involved with the Virus
There are a few complications that come with the genital herpes virus. The virus can cause painful genital sores in adults, and can be a severe infection in those who have suppressed and compromised immune systems. Regardless of how bad the symptoms are in a patient, the virus can cause psychological stress in people who know that they carry the virus. The virus can also lead to dangerous infections in infants that can be fatal. If the infection is contracted later on in a pregnancy, there is more of a chance that the baby can become infected due to the newly acquired infection. If the woman is having an outbreak during delivery of the baby, a c section may need to be performed to minimize the chances of the baby contracting the virus from the mother. However, infection from the mother to the baby is rare. Herpes might have a role in the spreading of the HIV virus. Having herpes makes you more susceptible to contracting the HIV virus; it also makes individuals with the HIV virus more infectious.
Diagnosis of the Herpes Virus
The symptoms that show up with the herpes virus can vary from person to person. Usually a visual inspection can diagnose whether or not a person has the herpes virus. Having a sample taken from the sores can also diagnose the herpes virus in a patient by testing in a lab. Herpes can also be diagnosed by a blood test between outbreaks. The results for blood tests of herpes might not always be clear though.
Herpes is a serious sexually transmitted disease that medication can be taken to reduce outbreaks, but cannot cure them. The medication can also reduce the transmission from a infected partner to a non infected partner although it is not guaranteed. The only sure way to not transmit herpes from one person to another is stop engaging in sexual activity. Another way is to engage in a long term sexual relationship with a partner who knows they are not infected when you’re not infected as well. The herpes virus can still be transmitted from one partner to another when using condoms and birth control methods. Even if there are no open sores or blisters, a person can still become infected with the virus from an infected person.