About Genital Herpes
The herpes virus in your    body
What are the signs and    symptoms?
Outbreaks
Who gets genital herpes?
Am I at risk?

Are you concerned you may have genital herpes?
The only way to know for sure is to see a doctor.
To help you overcome any hesitation or embarrassment, here’s what to expect when you visit the doctor – and some questions to ask the doctor so that you get the answers and advice you need.

Genital Herpes: The Facts

Outbreaks

The severity of a first outbreak depends on whether or not you have been previously exposed to the herpes virus (Type 1 or 2). For that reason, first outbreaks are classified as either primary or non-primary outbreaks.1

Primary outbreak
People who experience a primary outbreak have never previously been exposed to either HSV-1 or HSV-2. For them, the outbreak may last longer and be more severe because their immune systems are fighting the virus for the very first time.1,3

Non-primary outbreak
People who experience a non-primary outbreak have been exposed to either HSV-1 or HSV-2 at some time in the past, and their immune systems have already developed antibodies against the virus. Previous exposure, and the antibodies that result, give these people a head start in fighting the infection and their first outbreak may be less severe. An example of an individual with a non-primary outbreak is someone who suffers from occasional cold sores (due to past HSV-1 infection) and then gets a genital herpes outbreak (due to recent HSV-2 infection).1,3

Subsequent outbreaks are commonly referred to as recurrent outbreaks.
In most cases, recurrent outbreaks become less severe over time and are shorter-lived, usually lasting about 5 to 10 days.3 Even so, they’re no less troubling. While recurrent outbreaks tend to occur in the same area, they can also occur in another location near or away from the site of the first outbreak – depending on which nerve pathway the virus takes when it leaves the dorsal root ganglion and travels to the skin.1

Recurrent outbreaks run a course, in stages as follows: prodrome [?], inflammation, blisters, sores, scabs and healing.4

 

References

 

1. Whitley RJ, Kimberlin DW and Roizman B. Herpes Simplex Viruses. Clinical Infectious Diseases 1998;26:541-55.

2. Gupta R and Wald A. Genital Herpes: antiviral therapy for symptom relief and prevention of transmission. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2006;7(6):665-675.

3. Aoki FY. Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections 2006 Edition, Health Canada.

4. Sacks SL. The Truth About Herpes. 4th ed. West Vancouver, BC: Gordon Soules Book Publishers Ltd.;1997.

5. Ebel C, Wald A. Managing Herpes: How to Live and Love With a Chronic STD. Research Triangle Park, NC: American Social Health Association;2002.

6. Ribes JA, Steele AD, Seabolt JP et al. Six-Year Study of the Incidence of Herpes in Genital and Nongenital Cultures in a Central Kentucky Medical Center Patient Population. J Clin Micro 2001;39(9):3321-3325.

7. Patrick DM, Dawar M, Cook DA et al. Antenatal seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in Canadian women. Sex Transm Dis 2001;28(7):424-428.

8. Mertz GJ, Benedetti J, Ashley R et al. Risk Factors for the Sexual Transmission of Genital Herpes. Annals of Internal Medicine 1992;116:197-202.

9. Wald A, Zeh J, Selke S et al. Virologic Characteristics of Subclinical and Symptomatic Genital Herpes Infections. NEJM 1995;333(12):770-775.

10. Wald A, Zeh J,Selke S et al. Genital Shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus among Men. Journal of Infectious Diseases 2002;186(Suppl 1):S34-S39.

11. Corey L, Wald A, Patel R et al. Once-Daily Valacyclovir to Reduce the Risk of Transmission of Genital Herpes. NEJM 2004;350(1):11-20.

12. Cuisini M and Ghislanzoni M. The importance of diagnosing genital herpes. J Antimicro Chemo 2001;47(Topic T1):9-16.

13. Steben M, Sacks SL. Genital herpes: The epidemiology and control of a common sexually transmitted disease. Can J Hum Sex 1997;6(2):127-134.

14. Wald A, Langenberg AGM, Link K et al. Effect of condoms on reducing the transmission of herpes simplex virus type 2 from men to women. JAMA 2001;285(24):3100-3106.  
 
15. van der Laar MJ, Termorshuizen F, Slomka MJ et al. Prevalence and correlates of herpes simplex virus type 2 infection: Evaluation of behavioural risk factors. Int J Epidemiol 1998;27(1):127-134.
 
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