Genital Herpes

What is genital herpes?

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by virus. It effects the genital areas, as well as the mouth and the lips.

What are the symptoms of genital herpes?

Most individuals infected with herpes experience either no symptoms or have very mild symptoms that go unnoticed or are mistaken for another skin condition.  Because of this, most people infected with herpes are not aware of their infection. When symptoms do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals, rectum or mouth.

How do people get genital herpes?

People get herpes by having sex with someone who has the disease. “Having sex” means anal, vaginal, or oral sex. Herpes can be found in and released from the sores that the viruses cause.

How is genital herpes diagnosed?

Health care providers can diagnose genital herpes by visual inspection, if the outbreak is typical sample of the sore or blood test.

Is there a cure or treatment for herpes?

There is no treatment that can cure herpes. Antiviral medications can, however, prevent or shorten outbreaks during the period of time the person takes the medication.