Genital herpes

Symptoms of genital herpes include:

• small blisters that burst to leave red, open sores around your genitals, anus, thighs or bottom – the sores may be less red on brown or black skin
• tingling, burning or itching around your genitals
• pain when you pee
• discharge that is not usual for you

DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/529674/view

Clinical Photography/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/861692/view

DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/683453/view

• you have symptoms of genital herpes

Go even if you have not had sex for a long time, as blisters can take months or years to appear.

There's no cure for genital herpes. Symptoms clear up by themselves, but the blisters can come back (an outbreak or recurrence).

Treatment from a sexual health clinic can help.

Treatment the first time you have genital herpes

You may be prescribed:

• antiviral medicine to stop the symptoms getting worse – you need to start taking this within 5 days of the symptoms appearing
• cream for the pain

If you've had symptoms for more than 5 days before you go to a sexual health clinic, you can still get tested to find out the cause.

Treatment if the blisters come back

Go to a GP or sexual health clinic if you've been diagnosed with genital herpes and need treatment for an outbreak.

Antiviral medicine may help shorten an outbreak by 1 or 2 days if you start taking it as soon as symptoms appear.

But outbreaks usually settle by themselves, so you may not need treatment.

Recurrent outbreaks are usually milder than the first episode of genital herpes.

Over time, outbreaks tend to happen less often and be less severe. Some people never have outbreaks.

Some people who have more than 6 outbreaks in a year may benefit from taking antiviral medicine for 6 to 12 months.

If you still have outbreaks of genital herpes during this time, you may be referred to a specialist.

There are things you can do if you've been diagnosed with genital herpes and you're having an outbreak.

• keep the area clean using plain or salt water to prevent blisters becoming infected

• apply an ice pack wrapped in a flannel to soothe pain

• apply petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) or painkilling cream (such as 5% lidocaine) to reduce pain when you pee

• wash your hands before and after applying cream or jelly

• pee while pouring water over your genitals to ease the pain

• do not wear tight clothing that may irritate blisters or sores

• do not put ice directly on the skin

• do not touch your blisters or sores unless you're applying cream

• do not have vaginal, anal or oral sex until the sores have gone away

Genital herpes is very easy to pass on (contagious) from the first tingling or itching of a new outbreak (before any blisters appear) to when sores have fully healed.

You may also be able to pass on the virus even if you do not have any symptoms. But the risk of passing on the virus is higher during the first 6 months of infection and is rare after 2 years.

You can get genital herpes:

• 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
• by transferring the infection on fingers from someone else to your genitals
• by sharing sex toys with someone who has herpes

You cannot get genital herpes from towels, swimming pools, saunas or toilet seats as there is no skin-to-skin contact.

You can reduce the chances of passing on genital herpes by:

• using a condom every time you have vaginal, anal or oral sex – but herpes can still be passed on if the condom does not cover the infected area
• avoiding vaginal, anal or oral sex if you or your partner has blisters or sores, or a tingle or itch that means an outbreak is coming
• not sharing sex toys – if you do, wash them and put a condom on them

Symptoms of genital herpes include small blisters around your genitals, anus, thighs or bottom and pain when you pee.

Treatments for genital herpes include antiviral medicine and cream for any pain. You can get treatment at a sexual health clinic.

You can get genital herpes from skin contact with the infected area even when no sores or blisters are visible.