Medications may be used to control outbreaks. There is no cure for genital herpes. However, daily use of antiviral medications can prevent or shorten outbreaks. Antiviral medicines can also reduce your chance of infecting it to others.
No medication can get rid of the herpes virus. However, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication, such as acyclovir, to prevent the virus from multiplying. Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex. Treatment from a sexual health clinic can help.
The symptoms go away on their own, but may come back. If a person has a weakened immune system and has genital herpes, there is rarely an increased risk of developing inflammation of the brain, eyes, esophagus, lungs, or liver, as well as a generalized infection. Although lesions may be caused by something other than herpes, false-negative herpes tests can occur if the samples are not taken properly, if there is a long time of transportation between the clinic and the laboratory, or if the cultures were done at the end of the evolution of the lesions. For example, if someone has never had herpes but then has oral and genital sex with an infected partner, they can get the infection on both sites.
Patients who are infected with both herpes and HIV may also have a higher concentration of HIV virus in their body due to the interaction between the herpes virus and the HIV virus. Because a person may not have symptoms even if they have herpes, it can be difficult to know when to see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Herpes is spread through physical contact with damp areas of the skin, particularly through sexual activity. Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI), with approximately 572,000 new infections developing each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
After a person has an initial outbreak of genital herpes, they are likely to have more because herpes never completely goes away. Having herpes can make it easier to get HIV because the sores allow HIV to enter your body. A person with an oral herpes outbreak may first feel itchy, burning, or tingling around the mouth, lips, or tongue. See a primary care doctor or sexual health clinic if you've been diagnosed with genital herpes and need treatment for an outbreak.
Taking antiviral medications can help you reduce the risk of transmitting genital herpes to your sexual partners. A person with herpes who is transmitting the virus can be contagious even if they have no lesions or symptoms, which is why the patient population with genital herpes caused by HSV I is believed to be increasing. If you have blisters in your genital area, your doctor may request a test to determine if you have genital herpes. People who have recently been diagnosed with herpes should be tested for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections.
However, there are medications to prevent or shorten outbreaks, help control symptoms, and reduce a person's chance of transmitting genital herpes to their partner.
