Genital herpes
(Redirected from Genital Herpes)
Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
Founder, WikiMD Wellnesspedia &
W8MD medical weight loss NYC and sleep center NYC
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), which can also cause oral infections commonly known as "cold sores" or "fever blisters". This virus exists in two main types, HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both forms of the virus can cause sores on the genitals, but HSV-2 is more commonly associated with genital herpes.[1]
Clinical Presentation[edit | edit source]
The hallmark symptoms of genital herpes are painful, watery blisters that develop on the skin or mucous membranes of the genitals. However, not everyone with genital herpes experiences symptoms, and the disease may remain asymptomatic in some individuals. When symptoms do appear, they are typically most severe during the initial outbreak and become less severe over time. The virus is highly contagious, especially during active outbreaks, but transmission can also occur in the absence of symptoms.[2]
Prevention and Management[edit | edit source]
Despite the lack of a definitive cure for genital herpes, the disease can be managed effectively with antiviral medications, which can reduce the frequency and severity of outbreaks and decrease the risk of transmission to sexual partners. Barrier methods, such as condoms and dental dams, can also help reduce the risk of transmission. Individuals diagnosed with the disease should avoid sexual activity during active outbreaks and should inform their partners of their status.[3]
It is important to distinguish between herpes simplex virus infections and canker sores (also known as aphthous ulcers), which have a similar appearance but appear inside the mouth and are not caused by the herpes simplex virus.[4]
See Also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Genital herpes Resources | |
---|---|
|
Health Topics > A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
View All Health Topics in one page! | Health Encyclopedia | Index of health articles |
Professions:Medicine | Nursing | Pharmacy | Healthcare science | Dentistry | Allied health professions | Healthcare
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD