Genital herpes pictures

The genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease that affects both men and women causing pain, itching and sores in the genital area. Its cause is a type of herpes simplex virus (HSV), which enters your body through minute breaks in your skin and mucous membranes. Hence, sexual contact is the chief way that the virus spreads. Albeit there is no cure for this recurrent infection, having genital herpes is no reason to avoid sex or give up on relationships.

For reference, we have listed 4 relevant pictures of genital herpes, both in male and female patients:

Male genital herpes	Female genital herpes	Penile herpes	Herpes genitalis

Genital Herpes is spread by direct contact with a previously infected person. For instance, if a person having genital herpes has sexual contact with another, he/she may pass on the disease.

There are 2 kinds of HSVs - HSV-1 and HSV-2. While HSV-1 is responsible for sores and blisters on the lips and mouth, HSV-2 is the primary cause of genital herpes.

HSV-2 infects nerve cells, which allows the virus to stay indefinitely in an inactive state inside the body. Periodic reactivation of the virus occurs resulting in a reappearance of lesions on the genitalia. Most infected persons have five to eight outbreaks per year. With time, the number of outbreaks decreases.

Sores normally reoccur near the site of the first infection. As the outbreaks repeat, there are fewer sores that heal faster. Recurrent outbreaks of herpes are triggered by illness, menstruation, fatigue, stress, sunburn or sexual intercourse.

Genital Herpes is commonly transmitted through anal sex, vaginal or oral particularly due to unsafe sex when this infected skin comes in contact with the vaginal, anal portion or oral. Sometimes, there can be sores in the mouth which can be spread via secretions in the saliva. Since the virus does not live outside the body for long duration, one cannot get infection of genital herpes from an object like a toilet seat.

There are no standard symptoms of genital herpes. Most patients have few, if at all any, conspicuous symptoms. In victims that do have symptoms, they start two to twenty days following exposure to HSV infection.

The first stage of genital herpes is usually worse than later stages and is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Painful bumps or blisters forming ulcers in the genitalia
• Itching or burning sensation of the skin
• Swollen, tender glands around the genitalia
• Symptoms like that of Flu
• Headache
• Vaginal discharge
• Painful urination

A doctor typically diagnoses genital herpes based on a bodily examination and the result of some practical checks.

The first is Viral Culture Test which involves analysing a tissue sample or the fragments of the sores for assessment in the labs. The second is Blood Test which assess a sample of blood for the happening of HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus) antibodies to sense previous infection. The third is Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test which takes a sample of blood, tissue or some spinal fluid, and then a DNA test establishes the attendance of HSV and determines which sort of HSV it is.

Antiviral medicines that treat genital herpes primarily include: Valaciclovir, Famciclovir and Aciclovir. Acyclovir is most commonly used for pregnant women and Valacyclovir also may be used during pregnancy. They work by stopping the herpes virus from multiplying but as such they do not clear the virus from the body. Antiviral medicines for genital herpes work best when they are taken as soon as symptoms are noticed. For that reason, people with herpes should keep a supply of the medicine on hand.

Certain precautions can always be taken to curb the outbreak of the virus. One can avoid having any sexual activity while one has any symptoms of an outbreak. One can be sure to tell one's sexual partners, so they can also be tested. It is very important for a pregnant woman that the outbreak of the herpes should be treated before giving birth. If the mother is affected by genital herpes while she is pregnant, she is more likely to pass the virus to her baby.

There are almost a million people who experience genital herpes infection every year. What is even more surprising is the detail that there exists no cure for the herpes as yet.

Scientists are busy finding the cure for herpes. This is mainly because people suffering from herpes infection are likely to pact AIDS also reason being their skin lesions, which act as ports of admission for AIDS virus. The interesting feature about the HSV virus is that it lives like a ghost in the nervous system and when it is activated as a result of some foods, it moves up to the skin exterior where it duplicates.