genital herpes Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the herpes simplex viruses (HSV) type 1 and type 2. Most genital herpes is caused by HSV type 2. Most people have no or minimal symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When symptoms do occur, they usually appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving ulcers or tender sores that may take up to four weeks to heal. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months later. Although the infection can stay in the body forever, the number of outbreaks usually decreases over a period of years. You can pass genital herpes to someone else even when you experience no symptoms. Symptoms of genital herpes Once exposed to the virus, there is an incubation period that generally lasts 3 to 7 days before a lesion develops. During this time, there are no symptoms and the virus cannot be transmitted to others. An outbreak usually begins as an itching or tingling sensation followed by redness of the skin. Finally, a blister forms. The blisters and subsequent ulcers that form when the blisters break, are usually very painful to touch and may last from 7 days to 2 weeks. The virus is contagious from the time of itching to the time of complete healing of the ulcer. Diagnosis of genital herpes Genital herpes is suspected when multiple painful blisters occur in a sexually exposed area. During the initial outbreak, cultures of the blisters are positive for the herpes virus in only 80% of patients. This means that in 20% of women with herpes the test will incorrectly suggest that they do not have the herpes virus. In other words, a negative test result from a blister is not as helpful as a positive test result, because the test may be a false-negative test. However, if a sample of a fluid-filled blister (in the early stage before it dries up and crusts) tests positive for herpes, the test result is very reliable.

genital herpes In recurrent outbreaks of genital herpes, culturing the blister fluid during the recurrences detects the herpes virus in only 50% of the cultures. There are herpes blood tests that are used only for research purposes. The reason the blood tests are limited to research use is that they only indicate that someone is a "carrier" of the virus and do not mean he or she actually will get an attack of genital herpes that can be spread from person to person. This is the reason why it's best to go right to the blister and sample it, since what really needs to be known is whether a blister is filled with infectious herpes virus or not. How is genital herpes treated? There is no cure for genital herpes. Once you are infected, the virus remains in the body for the rest of your life even if you never experience another outbreak. But your doctor can give you medicine to prevent outbreaks and to help outbreaks clear up more quickly. You can also do certain things to relieve your symptoms and reduce the chances of infecting your partner: * Wear loose clothes * Keep the genital area clean and dry * Try not to touch the sores and if you do touch them, wash your hands with warm soap and water right away · Avoid having sex during an outbreak

genital herpes Causes Two types of herpes simplex virus infections can cause genital herpes. HSV type 1 (HSV-1) is the type that usually causes cold sores or fever blisters around your mouth, though it can be spread to your genital area during oral sex. HSV type 2 (HSV-2) is the type that commonly causes genital herpes. The virus spreads through sexual contact and skin-to-skin contact. HSV-2 is very common and highly contagious whether you have an open sore or not. However, in many people the infection causes no recognized signs or symptoms and can still be spread to a sexual partner