What is genital herpes?

Genital herpes is one of most infamous sexually transmitted disease (STD). Genital herpes is caused by type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2) herpes simplex viruses. In most of cases of genital herpes the virus HSV-2 is responsible. But a person infected with HSV-1 virus (the type of virus that causes cold sores or fever blisters around the mouth) can also spread the virus during oral sex to another person’s privates.

In several cases of herpes the patient show no signs or symptoms or shows only minimal signs or symptoms of HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs of the infection occur, they usually occur as one or more blisters on or in the genital region or rectum. When the blisters burst they leave tender ulcers (sores). These ulcers take 2 to 4 weeks to heal the first time they appear. Apparently, another outbreak can occur weeks or months after the first, but it’s about always is less harsh and has shorter span than the first outbreak. Though the infection may reside in the body for indefinite time, over a period of years the frequency of the disease tends to fall.

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According to a nationally representative study results in the United States genital herpes infection is quite common. Countrywide at the least forty five million people of age 12 and older are suffering from genital herpes. Moreover one out of every five adolescents and adults has had genital herpes infection. However since the past decade, the rate of genital herpes infection in the Americans has decreased in the U.S.

HSV-2 infection or type 2 herpes infection is more common in women than in men. Just about one out of four women suffer from it while almost one out of eight men gets infected with herpes. It might be due to the fact male-to-female transmission is more likely than female-to-male transmission.