How to Identify and Treat Genital Herpes

Genital Herpes is caused by the transmission of body fluids such as saliva, blood or semen from an infected sexual partner to an uninfected sexual partner. This article will explain how to determine if you have contracted genital herpes and how to treat it.

Instructions

• 1

  The first step in determining if you have contracted genital herpes is acknowledging if you had unprotected sex. Unprotected sex includes kissing, oral sex and sexual intercourse ... anything where you might swap fluids. If you have, you are at risk of getting infected. You should always use condoms and dental dams if having sex with someone you don't know well or you know is at risk. Also, get to know your partner well before doing anything sexual and discuss Std' s openly. Herpes is not a death sentence but you still should weigh out if you still want to have sexual intercourse with an infected person.

• 2

  About seven days after having unprotected sexual intercourse, you may suddenly feel very sick. Symptoms resemble the flu ... high fever, body aches and pains and great fatigue. Men get off easy on this one because 90% of them do not show these symptoms but almost all women experience this sickness about seven days after unprotected sex with an infected partner.

• 3

  After a few days of flu-like symptoms, you may notice very painful blisters come up on your genitals. They can be very small or quite large and again, are very painful. Around this time you will probably be worried enough to see a doctor and get the dreaded news ... you have contracted genital herpes.

• 4

  But, genital herpes is not the end of the world. One in four people have genital herpes so your chances are high of contracting it. After the initial outbreak, you will get periodic outbreaks through the year. You may get a sore anywhere on your body but its characteristics are inflamed skin, a sore with blisters on it and pain in the sore. During the time that you have the outbreak, do not have sex with anyone - not even your long term partner (unless they also have genital herpes). Chances of transmitting herpes greatly increases when you have an outbreak. Also, see your doctor about obtaining a medicine called Acyclovir. You would take this medicine at the beginning of your outbreak and the duration. It will lessen the severity of the symptoms and also the length of time you have symptoms.