Herpes: The “gift” that keeps giving
What Is Herpes?
Herpes is a type of STI caused by two types of viruses - Herpes Simplex Virus type-1 (HSV-1) and Herpes Simplex Virus type-2 HSV-2).
Herpes can be both genital and oral; however, HSV-1 is often the cause of oral herpes. This can be noticed by the development of cold sores, fever blisters on or around the mouth, although most people with oral herpes do not have any symptoms.
How does someone get herpes?
Oral herpes are usually passed down during childhood or young adulthood from non-sexual contact with saliva.
Genital herpes spreads by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the infection. According to the Center for Disease Control, you can get herpes if you have contact with the following:
A herpes sora
Saiva from a partner with an oral herpes infection
Genital fluids from a partner with genital herpes infection
Skin in the area of a partner with oral herpes
Skin in the genital area of a partner with genital herpes
You can also get genital herpes from a sex partner who does not have a visible sore.
It’s important to note that you cannot get herpes from toilet seats, bedding, or swimming pools. You also cannot get herpes from touching objects such as silverware, soap, or towels.
How do I know if I have genital herpes?
Most people with genital herpes have very mild, or even no, symptoms. Milk symptoms may be mistaken for things like a pimple, an ingrown hair, or may even be overlooked completely. Because of this, most people don’t know they have a herpes infection.
Herpes sores will usually appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals, rectum, or mouth as what’s called an “Outbreak”. The blisters will break and leave painful sores that may take a week or more to hea. Flu-like symptoms may also occur during the first Outbreak.
Can herpes be cured?
There is no cure for genital herpes; however, there are medications that can prevent or shorten the outbreaks. Although genital herpes is a lifelong infection, with medications, the number of outbreaks may decrease over time.
What happens if I don’t receive treatment?
Genital herpes can cause blisters that eventually break and become painful sores. If you touch the sores or fluids from the sores, you may transfer herpes to another part of your body, like your eyes.
If you are or become pregnant with a genital herpes infection, there can be problems down the road for you and your unborn fetus.
How can genital herpes affect my baby?
Some research suggests that a genital herpes infection may lead to miscarriage or make itmore likely to deliver your baby prematurely.
You can also pass herpes to your unborn child before birth, but it is more commonly passed during delivery. This can lead to a deadly infection in your baby, called neonatal herpes.
It’s important to take anti-herpes medication towards the end of your pregnancy. It may reduce your risk of having signs or symptoms of genital herpes when you deliver.
At the time of delivery, your healthcare provider should carefully examine you for sores. If herpes sores are present, a ‘C-section’ is likely to occur.
Is Sex still an option for me?
You should always talk to your sex partner(s) about any and all sexually transmitted diseases and/or infections before having sex. Using condoms may help lower the risk of transmitting herpes, but it will not get rid of the risk completely. Having sores or other symptoms present during sex can increase your risk of spreading the disease. Even if you do not have any symptoms, you can still infect your sex partner(s).
Did you know…
A herpes infection can cause sores or breaks in the skin or lining of the mouth, vagina, and rectum. This provides a way for HIV to enter the body. Even without visible sores, herpes increases the number of immune cells in the lining of the genitals. HIV targets immune cells for entry into the body.
Having both HIV and genital herpes increases the chance of spreading HIV to a HIV-negative partner during oral, vaginal, or anal sex.
For more information about genital herpes or HIV, talk with your healthcare provider.