Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the herpes simplex virus. The virus enters the body through small breaks in the skin. Sexual contact is the most common way of developing genital herpes. There is no cure for the disease, but there are treatments to protect yourself and to prevent the spread of disease to anyone you whom with you have sexual contact.
Symptoms
Symptoms of genital herpes can be so mild they can go unnoticed. When an outbreak does occur, symptoms can include small red bumps, blisters or open sores in and around the genital and anal areas. Pain and itching accompany the sores and can spread to the buttocks and thighs. The sores can eventually become ulcers and ooze blood. Ulcers may make it painful to urinate. During an outbreak, you may experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and body aches. The first outbreak is normally the worst. Subsequent outbreaks are less severe, but outbreaks can occur several times a year for many years.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will take a culture, a scraping from a sore and examine it in the laboratory. Blood tests will reveal the presence of the herpes virus and also which type you have. Your doctor may also test you for other STD's as they commonly accompany genital herpes.
Treatment
Prescription medication can shorten genital herpes outbreaks. Medicines, such as Zovirax and Famvir, can help sores heal faster, lessen the severity of the outbreaks, reduce their frequency and decrease the risk of infecting another person. Your doctor may have you only take the medicine during outbreaks or he may have you take it daily. If you have five or more outbreaks a year, your doctor will normally prescribe daily medicine to help suppress the outbreaks. The drugs are considered safe and effective for daily treatment.
Prevention And Support
Practice safe sex using a latex condom. This helps in preventing all sexually transmitted diseases. Do not have sex with a partner who has open sores in the genital area. Talk to your doctor on minimize your risk of infecting your partner and ask about support groups in your area. Discussion with people suffering from the same disease can help you vent and learn from others experiences.
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