We have already explained genital herpes in previous sections of this book.
You should now know that both herpes simplex type 1 and 2 can occur on the genitals but that when someone refers to “genital herpes” they usually mean type 2 of the virus.
Click HERE for to see more examples of genital herpes pictures. There is a bit of a social stigma that goes along with genital herpes
due to the fact that it is an STD (sexually transmitted disease) but in actuality, a lot of people have this virus. Some studies have shown that 70% of the people with genital herpes got it from a partner that showed no signs of an outbreak.
Out of all those partners, some might have thought they were safe and would not spread the disease but many of them might not have even known they had it.
This misinformation about genital herpes is what has caused it to spread so rapidly among so many people. Another reason is because people are afraid to go to the doctor or afraid to admit that they may have it and they never seek treatment for herpes. What you need to understand is first that this disease is very common. Secondly, your doctor is there to help you and they are not going to judge you because of your genital herpes. They see cases just like yours every day and it’s not a big deal like it may seem to you.
After the initial outbreak, many people may not have another or recurrences may not be as severe or very frequent so people tend to push thoughts of it aside and never seek treatment or diagnosis. The problem seems to go away on its own and they see no reason to seek medical attention or help for it.
This is an unfortunate way to look at it because not only can you still be spreading herpes to others, but also because a genital herpes infection that appears dormant for months or years can then recur at very inconvenient times if left untreated. For example, during times of stress in your life or when your immune system is weakened, your herpes might reappear.
Just think about it for a little bit. What are some stressful
situations in life? When are times that your immune system might not be the strongest? What if your herpes returns right before your
wedding? Or what if you are a soldier getting ready to deploy, a student about to graduate or a family member who just lost a loved one? Are you pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant? In these situations, you are going to have enough to deal with besides a herpes
outbreak, especially if you have never even been diagnosed. You will have to go to the doctor, explain everything, get tested, wait for results and then get treatment.
It’s much easier to just deal with it when you first suspect you might have the virus or have been exposed to it. Not only that but who wants to live in fear? Do you really want to go through your life
wondering if this thing you had was herpes and if it’s going to come back? Do you want to have to live with the fear that you could be spreading it to other people? It’s much better to find out for sure and then you can take the proper steps to get control of your herpes.
Signs and symptoms of genital herpes
Many people with HSV2 do not even realize they have the infection. Some people who initially become infected may have no symptoms and not even realize they have the virus. In some cases, they may have few or no symptoms until much later in life when something triggers a recurrence that can be more severe than the initial outbreak.
However, in most cases for most people, the initial outbreak of the infection is the worst and is more pronounced.
The initial outbreak as well as subsequent ones may cause: • Sores, lesions or blisters on the genitals
• Sores on the perineum or anus
• Sores on the buttocks or skin surrounding the genital area • Flu-like symptoms
• Body and muscle aches • Fever
• Swollen glands/lymph nodes
Why do some people have frequent outbreaks and some have little or none?
This is a common question since herpes affects different people in different ways. Most people who have their first outbreak of herpes can expect to have several recurrences over the first year. Typically, people have four or five within the first year of contracting the virus and after that, they tend to taper off in frequency for most people.
Again, this varies though. And the severity of the outbreak varies. Some people will have symptoms so mild they mistake it for a bug bite or similar medical condition.
• People with weaker immune systems will have more severe and more frequent outbreaks and symptoms. • The same can happen when an infected person goes
through a time of increased stress or lower immune (such as when they suffer from another illness).
Regardless of how severe and how frequent your herpes
outbreaks are people who discover they have it typically suffer from psychological distress as well. There are a whole slew of emotional issues that can go along with having an STD, especially one in which there is no cure, like genital herpes.
For some people, genital herpes is very painful. For most, it is at least uncomfortable and inconvenient. Some people get a lot of sores, which blister and burst as they go through stages and are very painful, especially to touch.
If the sores are around the urethra it can also be painful when urine comes into contact with them. Herpes lesions of the skin on the buttocks can also be very painful and uncomfortable when sitting. Wearing clean, breathable and comfortable underwear can help relieve some of the discomfort of a herpes outbreak until it has passed.
When an outbreak occurs it is best to treat it immediately with a
topical anti-septic treatment kills the virus on contact and will significantly shorten the term of the outbreak.