Medical Symptoms and Facts

Herpes: The Infection and its symptoms

Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the Herpes Simplex virus (HSV). Genital Herpes is the most frequent STDs diagnosed in the United States. 45 million people have had genital HSV infection annually. Mostly, women are diagnosed with genital herpes than men. Symptoms of herpes do not immediately surface.

If a person contracts genital herpes, the virus stays inside the body for an indefinite time. For those who are infected, some of the symptoms recur at different times. The recurrences are labeled as “herpes outbreak.”

Genital herpes is acquired thru sexual contact with a person infected with the herpes simplex virus or HSV. There are two different types of Herpes Simplex Virus.

Herpes Simplex Virus 1 is a possible cause of genital herpes, but mouth blisters and sores are commonly the effects of this virus. The infection of the genital region is caused by sexual contact with a HSV-1 infected person.

The other virus, Herpes Simplex Virus 2 can only be by an infected person thru sexual contact.

Some symptoms of herpes do not appear immediately. People may have genital herpes and are not aware of it. Sores and blisters are common, followed by fever.

The only way to avoid Genital Herpes is to refrain from sexual activities. People diagnosed with herpes should avoid sexual contact with uninfected partners when some of the symptoms are present. It is essential to know that even if a person does not show any signs, he or she can still infect sexual partners. Condom or contraceptives reduce the risk of transmission of genital herpes. If one is in doubt, testing can determine if the HSV virus is in your system. A genital herpes infection is indicated by a positive HSV-2 blood test.