Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is an STD (sexually transmitted disease), whose infection occurs through a virus transmitted by having unprotected sex, and mainly affects the skin of the genital areas.

It is one of the diseases most feared by those who have an active sexual life, so we will see its causes, risk factors, diagnosis, ways to prevent it and what is the appropriate treatment.

Signs and Symptoms

Many of the infected people may not have symptoms. When there are symptoms, the main ones are:

• Appearance of red spots and whitish bubbles after infection;
• Appearance of irritation and pain around two to ten days after infection;
• Eruptions and injuries in the genital regions;
• Small bubbles grouped in the genital regions;
• Pain and possible bleeding when urinating;
• Scab formation at the time of healing;
• Lumps causing sensitivity in the groin area;
• In the case of women, there may be vaginal discharge and difficulty urinating.

Causes and Risk Factors

The two viruses are transmitted mainly through unprotected sex. The HSV-1 virus is most commonly found in the mouth and passes to the genitals during oral sex. And HSV-2 is commonly found in the vagina region.

The most common form of transmission of genital herpes and its two types of viruses is through contact with the skin of an infected patient who has visible lesions in the form of rash or bubbles, during the active phase of the disease.

Diagnosis

After the reports of the symptoms, the doctor can order other tests to make the diagnosis of genital herpes. Among these tests are possible:

• Blood test
• Virus culture
• PCR test or polymerase chain reaction

Treatment

After being diagnosed with genital herpes, the patient should seek immediate medical assistance and begin treatment immediately.

 The most common treatment is using oral antivirals together with ointments that relieve symptoms and cure skin lesions that cause discomfort. The duration of the treatment will be determined by the doctor according to the condition of each patient.

After treatment in the critical phase, the individual with a stable immune system can usually live with the virus in remission. Pregnant women with genital herpes can perform the treatment in the last month of pregnancy to avoid transmitting the virus to the baby.