Genital herpes

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by a virus called herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are 2 different types of the virus, and both of them affect the genitals.

Genital herpes causes painful blisters and sores on and around the genitals. It can also sometimes cause problems if you get it for the first time during pregnancy.

Most people who carry the herpes virus don't notice any symptoms and don't know they have it. So if you think you may be infected, get tested.

If symptoms do appear, it usually takes 2 to 12 days after contact for them to show. Some people don't get symptoms until months or sometimes years later.

Once you have genital herpes, the virus stays in your body. It can lie dormant for long periods, but it can reactivate in the area that was first infected. When that happens, the sores and blisters can come back. This is known as a "recurrent episode" of genital herpes.

The first episode may last from 2 to 4 weeks. Repeated episodes are not usually as severe or as long as the first, and you may never have one at all.

Symptoms of the first infection include:

• spots or red bumps around the genital area
• pain inside the vagina, head of penis or anus
• vaginal discharge
• pain peeing or being unable to pee
• fever
• flu-like symptoms, backache, headache and a temperature
• mild swelling of the lymph glands in the groin, armpits and neck

If you have a recurrent infection, your symptoms may include:

• a tingling or burning sensation before blisters appear
• painful red blisters, which soon burst to leave ulcers
• pain inside the vagina, head of penis or anus

• you're pregnant and think you have genital herpes

If you think you might have genital herpes, you can get tested by:

• contacting your doctor for an appointment
• booking an appointment at a sexual health clinic

Your doctor or nurse may be able to diagnose it just by looking at symptoms such as blisters, sores and ulcers.

If you have visible blisters, your doctor or nurse may take a swab for testing. This checks whether it's herpes and which type. The same swab can also test for syphilis, another STI that causes blisters.

Swab tests for genital herpes are very reliable. But if the ulcer is too dry, the test is less likely to find a positive result.

Genital herpes can be treated with antiviral medicine. The medicine can clear the symptoms, although the infection could keep coming back.

When genital herpes comes back, the symptoms will usually clear up without any treatment. Some people have repeated episodes, though. In these cases, a longer course of tablets should stop any recurrent episodes.

You can talk to your doctor or a nurse about which treatment options are right for you.

There's no screening test for herpes, so partners should only have a test if they also have symptoms.

You can get genital herpes in several ways:

• from skin to skin contact with the infected area (including vaginal, anal and oral sex)
• when there are no visible sores or blisters
• if a cold sore touches your genitals or face
• kissing (if the person has a cold sore on their face)
• by sharing sex toys with someone who has herpes

Sometimes your sexual partner can pass on herpes even when they have no visible sores or symptoms. The virus can become active on the skin without causing any blisters or sores, and this is sometimes called 'asymptomatic shedding'.

The risk goes down during the first months after you catch herpes, and it is not likely after two years. But it is more common while people are still having frequent recurrences.

Very rarely, herpes is passed to a newborn baby during childbirth. This is only likely if the mother has her first episode of herpes after week 26 of the pregnancy. When women have had herpes for longer than three months, normal delivery is expected, even if there are symptoms at the time of delivery.

The best way to lower your risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), genital herpes included, is to practise safer sex. That means using a condom for vaginal, anal and oral sex.

If your partner has herpes, don't have sex while they have visible sores. Doing this lowers your risk of getting herpes.

If you've been diagnosed with genital herpes, you should be tested for all STIs, including:

• chlamydia
• gonorrhoea
• syphilis
• HIV

If you have recurrent episodes, testing matters even more.

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