How to deal with genital herpes

About 1 in 5 women and 1 in 6 men in America are infected with genital herpes. What do you really know about genital herpes? Do you understand what causes herpes, how to treat it and how to avoid it? Here are answers to some important questions that will help you better understand genital herpes.

What is genital herpes? 
Genital herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus, type 2. It is a sexually transmitted disease that is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, usually during sexual intercourse. However, one-third of genital herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus, type 1. Which is the type that is associated with cold sores or fever blisters. People with this type of herpes can transmit the disease through oral sex. Young, sexually active men and women are most at risk for contracting genital herpes. Because there is an ease of transition from male to female, more women then men are affected with the disease. Unfortunately, genital herpes can never be cured. But it can be controlled. 

What does a herpes outbreak look/feel like?
People that have the virus will often have outbreaks with blisters that break open and become tender ulcers. 
The level and severity of outbreaks differs from person to person. The large majority of people will have few outbreaks. But some people may never have had an outbreak their entire life even though they’ve been infected. However, they are still a carrier and can unknowingly transmit the disease to their partner. Others might have one outbreak and then never have another one. And some people might have severe, reoccurring outbreaks.

How long does it take for the blisters to heal and eventually go away? 
It can take as long as two weeks before the blisters completely heal and go away. During that time people should avoid sexual contact. Unfortunately, people can also transmit the disease when they are not having an outbreak or right before an outbreak.

If you have genital herpes are there any pre-symptoms that occur that might tune you in that an outbreak is headed your way?
Often people have outbreaks when they are very stressed out. Usually the first year is the worst. It’s when you have the most frequent number of outbreaks. After that first year, typically the outbreaks start to decrease in their severity and frequency.

How do you treat genital herpes? 
The most common way to treat herpes is with oral medication and topical creams to help ease the pain of the symptoms and help shorten their duration. If a person has very painful and frequent outbreaks suppression therapy may work best. Suppression therapy is best described as a daily pill that helps keep away the outbreaks and shorten the symptoms. 

What are the most serious consequences for women with genital herpes?
Pregnancy presents the most serious issue for women with genital herpes. Here’s why: if she has a herpes outbreak while she is pregnant she could transmit it to her infant. If an infant contracts the virus it is quite serious, the baby can develop meningitis or other really serious infections from it. Usually if a woman has an outbreak during labor her doctor will strongly recommend she have a c-section because that will help to decrease the chance of her transmitting herpes to her infant.