About one of every four women has herpes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Women are more commonly infected than men.

Genital herpes infection is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).It's transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, and sexual contact, including vaginal, anal and oral sex.

Most people with genital herpes have no or only mild symptoms. The classic symptom is a group of small, painful blisters in the genital area, thighs or buttocks. But, a woman might have only vaginal irritation or itchiness, a small amount of discharge, or pain with urination. In some women, blisters can develop on the cervix and may go unseen. Symptoms may also include fever, headache, muscle aches and swollen groin glands.

What treatments are available?
There is no cure, but there are effective treatments to manage and even prevent outbreaks. Even though most have no symptoms, some people have several outbreaks or more per year. The first outbreak is usually the worst. Later outbreaks are often milder. Over time, outbreaks usually tend to become fewer.

Antiviral medications decrease the pain and discomfort of genital herpes. These drugs are:

• Acyclovir (Zovirax)
• Famciclovir (Famvir)
• Valacyclovir (Valtrex)

Depending on how many outbreaks you have and how bad they are, your doctor may suggest different treatment schedules. If you have infrequent outbreaks, you may choose to treat symptoms only when they occur (episodic therapy). If you have more frequent outbreaks, you may want to take medication daily to reduce the number of outbreaks you have (called suppressive therapy.)

• Episodic therapy. Your doctor can give you an antiviral medication during an active herpes outbreak. It will shorten your healing time by a day or two.
• Suppressive therapy. Antiviral medications can be used in "suppressive" doses. This means the medicine is taken every day to suppress outbreaks. Used this way, outbreaks can be reduced by 80 percent to 90 percent although this treatment does not rid the body of the virus. Suppressive therapy may help to reduce the sexual spread of genital herpes but there is still a risk of spreading the virus.

Self-care
During at outbreak, there are things you can do to help ease pain and reduce discomfort.

• Warm baths may relieve the pain of genital lesions. Doctors suggest gentle cleansing with soap and water.
• After cleaning, keep the area dry.
• Wear loose fitting clothing and cotton underwear. Avoid pantyhose.
• Avoid touching your sores. Wash your hands after any contact with sores.
• Use an ice pack or baking soda compress to sooth irritated skin.
• Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve pain if advised by your doctor.

Can I have sex?
One of the most troubling aspects of having genital herpes is knowing if it's OK to have sex and what to tell your partner. With honest discussions and preventive measures, you can greatly reduce the risk of spreading genital herpes.

Even though the herpes sores usually disappear within two to three weeks, the virus stays in your body forever. You can still spread the virus even if you aren't having an active outbreak or symptoms.

Doctors advise avoiding all sex - vaginal, anal and oral sex - during and right after an outbreak. Use condoms and daily antiviral therapy to help cut the risk of spreading the virus at all other times. These measures significantly lower the risk of the transmission of herpes, but transmission can still occur.

What other concerns are there with genital herpes?
Genital herpes can be transmitted to a newborn during birth if the virus is active at the time. This can be fatal to the newborn. If you have genital herpes and are pregnant, be sure to tell your doctor right away. You may need to have a cesarean section delivery (C-section) to protect the baby.

People with genital herpes who have weakened immune systems (such as people who have had organ transplants or who have HIV/AIDs) can have more serious infections. Also, if you have genital herpes, it is much easier to transmit or acquire HIV infection.

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External Sources National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Genital herpes. . Accessed June 02, 2009 Patel R, Rompalo A. Managing patients with genital herpes and their sexual partners. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 2005;19(2):427-438. . Accessed June 02, 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases. Genital herpes. . Accessed June 02, 2009 American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists. Genital herpes.. Accessed June 02, 2009 National Women's Health Information Center. Genital herpes.. Accessed June 02, 2009 Beauman JG. Genital herpes: a review. American Family Physician. 2005;72(8):1527-1534.. Accessed June 02, 2009

This article was reviewed and updated 08-01-2009.