January 8, 2008

Herpes Handbook

Questions about Herpes

How serious is Herpes?

Mild symptoms can be experienced with HSV-2, but often no apparent symptoms are present.

HSV-2 may cause recurrent painful genital ulcers and can be severe in people with suppressed immune systems. Severe genital herpes frequently causes psychological and emotional stress.


If a woman with HSV-2 is pregnant, potentially fatal infections in infants can occur. A cesarean-section delivery is usually carried out if a woman has active genital herpes at time of giving birth.

People infected with herpes may be more susceptible to HIV infection, and HIV-infected individuals may be more infectious.

How do you know if you are infected with genital herpes?

Many people with HSV-2 are sometimes not aware that they are infected.

Some people infected with HSV-2 do not have lesions or may suffer only very mild, almost unnoticeable, symptoms which are sometimes mistaken for insect bites or a rash.

Symptoms of the primary episode can be quite pronounced. The primary episode usually occurs within two weeks after the virus is transmitted and lesions usually heal within 2-4 weeks of outbreak.

Other symptoms may include a second crop of lesions, or flu-like symptoms including:

  • fever
  • swollen glands

    A primary episode of genital herpes can cause several symptomatic recurrences a year (average 4 or 5). Most recurrences occur more often within the first year following the primary episode.

    Herpes simplex, a recurrent viral infection, caused by Herpes Virus hominis (HVH), is a widespread infectious agent, which is very hard to control. As well there are latent herpes associated infections.

    Source: http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/std/herpes.htm

  • Photo: http://www.flickr.com/

    1 comment:

    STDromancedotcom said...

    As a matter of fact, 70 million are afflicted with STDs in the U.S. alone and an estimated over 400 million worldwide. Are you one of them? go to STDromance.com

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