Herpes

fever blister, cold sore, the gift that keeps on giving

There are many types of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) and 30 million Americans have the virus but not all cases are STDs. The most common are HSV-1 and HSV-2:

HSV-1

Oral Herpes - cold sore or fever blister on your lips. Can be passed to genitals - not always an STD

HSV-2

Genital herpes. Can be passed to the mouth. HSV-2 is sexually transmitted

• Oral herpes can be passed to genitals, and genital herpes can be passed to the mouth, so both can be an STD.
• There are about 500,000 new cases of HSV infection each year.
• Herpes STD is treatable but incurable at this time. The symptoms and sores go away but they come back. Herpes lesions are like blisters full of fluid and are painful. There is no cure! Treatment helps relieve symptoms.
• Not fatal in adults.
• Infected women can pass infection to baby at birth causing blindness, brain damage, and death.
• The virus never goes away but becomes reactive now and then and it is unpredictable when it will return.
• Repeat symptoms are milder, lasts 4-14 days, starts with tingling, pain, itching.

• Enters skin surface and goes to nerve ganglion.
• Remains in the nerve forever (that’s why Herpes infections hurt).
• Blisters appear 2-10 days after having sex. Usually don’t feel bad during this time.
• It's more common in women than men.

• First outbreak of sores lasts 2-3 weeks.
• Starts as tingling/burning feeling in penis, vaginal discharge in girls, pressure in abdomen, pain/sore buttocks, legs, or groin.
• Red bumps at site of entrance. Bumps go to blisters or sores, scab over, then heal.
• Symptoms worse in women than men.

• Only 100% completely safe option - choose not to have sex!
• Latex condoms help but the virus can be on uncovered skin.
• Infected persons without symptoms can pass the virus.
• See your doctor if you have questions or experience symptoms.

If you have further questions or concerns about STDs, ask Dr. Mike, an internationally known Clinical Microbiologist specializing in STDs. He has worked extensively with teenage boys and contributed all the information and STD images on the disease pages here.

Copy and paste*  jmm8ATcomcast.net  into your email client and tell Dr Mike how old you are, what country you are from and then ask your question. You will be emailing a medical specialist offering his time to help young guys. Your email will be treated confidentially and erased after he answers you.

* change  AT to @  to make a normal email address format - done this way to prevent automated spam email address harvesting.