More than one out of every six people aged 14 to 49 years have genital herpes. You can get genital herpes by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the disease.
If you do not have herpes, you can get infected if you come into contact with the herpes virus in:. You can get herpes from a sex partner who does not have a visible sore or who may not know he or she is infected. It is also possible to get genital herpes if you receive oral sex from a sex partner who has oral herpes.
You will not get herpes from toilet seats, bedding, or swimming pools, or from touching objects around you such as silverware, soap, or towels. If you have additional questions about how herpes is spread, consider discussing your concerns with a healthcare provider. If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting genital herpes:.
Be aware that not all herpes sores occur in areas that are covered by a latex condom. Also, herpes virus can be released shed from areas of the skin that do not have a visible herpes sore. For these reasons, condoms may not fully protect you from getting herpes.
If you are in a relationship with a person known to have genital herpes, you can lower your risk of getting genital herpes if:. If you are pregnant and have genital herpes, it is very important for you to go to prenatal care visits. Tell your doctor if you have ever had symptoms of, or have been diagnosed with, genital herpes. Also tell your doctor if you have ever been exposed to genital herpes. There is some research that suggests that genital herpes infection may lead to miscarriage, or could make it more likely for you to deliver your baby too early.
Herpes infection can be passed from you to your unborn child before birth but is more commonly passed to your infant during delivery. This can lead to a potentially deadly infection in your baby called neonatal herpes. It is important that you avoid getting herpes during pregnancy. If you are pregnant and have genital herpes, you may be offered anti-herpes medicine towards the end of your pregnancy. This medicine may reduce your risk of having signs or symptoms of genital herpes at the time of delivery.
At the time of delivery, your doctor should carefully examine you for herpes sores. Most people who have genital herpes have no symptoms, or have very mild symptoms. You may not notice mild symptoms or you may mistake them for another skin condition, such as a pimple or ingrown hair. Because of this, most people who have herpes do not know it. Herpes sores usually appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals, rectum or mouth.
The blisters break and leave painful sores that may take a week or more to heal. People who experience an initial outbreak of herpes can have repeated outbreaks, especially if they are infected with HSV Oral herpes causes sores on the lips or around the mouth — called cold sores or fever blisters. Cold sores last a few weeks and then go away on their own. They can re-appear in weeks, months, or years. Cold sores are usually harmless in kids and adults, but can be dangerous to newborn babies. If there are blisters or sores, a healthcare provider may gently swab the area to take a fluid sample and test it.
If there are no sores, but you are concerned you may have been exposed, a blood test may done. Herpes tests are not normally recommended unless you have symptoms.
To find free and low-cost STD testing near you, go to greaterthan. You can also help ease the pain caused by herpes outbreaks by taking a warm bath, wearing loose clothing and putting an ice pack on the sores.
Herpes can be painful, but it generally does not cause serious health problems like other STDs can. Without treatment, you might continue to have regular outbreaks, or they could only happen rarely. Some people naturally stop getting outbreaks after a while.
Herpes typically does not get worse over time. Many health departments also offer testing. Download PDF. Did you know STDs — or sexually transmitted diseases — are very common and often show no symptoms? Treating the cause of your infection is the primary treatment.
Since most cases of meningoencephalitis are caused by the herpes virus, the antiviral acyclovir is used to treat it. You may need to take this medicine through an intravenous IV line for 10 to 14 days. Your healthcare provider may also give you medicine to reduce swelling in the brain and to treat or prevent seizures.
With treatment, most people with this disease start to improve within a day or two and tend to recover fully within about a month. But without treatment, very serious complications can set in, including death. Even with treatment, some people with severe cases may have long-term brain damage.
They may have trouble thinking, controlling their body, and hearing, seeing, or speaking. They may need to take medicines for a long time, and they may require long-term care. Avoiding herpes virus infections in the first place can help you prevent herpes meningoencephalitis. Ways to avoid infections from herpes viruses include:.
Abstain from sex or have only one sex partner who has been tested for the virus and isn't infected. Use a latex condom, which can reduce — but not entirely prevent — the risk of infection. Avoid kissing people with cold sore blisters. It's important to keep in mind that most people have already been infected with HSV1 virus by the time they're 20 years old. If you've already been infected, the virus goes dormant inside your body except during outbreaks. Some pregnant women who have had genital herpes outbreaks may want to have their babies delivered by cesarean section.
This may prevent meningoencephalitis in newborns.
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