Genital herpes

Herpes is a virus that many Danes cannot avoid. In fact, studies show that up to 80% of the adult population is infected with herpes, but only 20% of those infected actually experience repeated outbreaks of infection. Herpes is a virus that can go dormant after the first outbreak, the primary infection, and never reappear.

 

 

There are generally two different types of herpes. HSV type 1, also called herpes labialis, is the most common type, which appears as cold sores or small blisters on the face, throat, mouth, eyes or nose. HSV type 2 is known as genital herpes and is herpes in the genitals . Approximately 20% of all herpes infected people have type 2. This type can appear on the genitals, buttocks and thighs, and some people also experience herpes on the penis or herpes in the vagina.

Who can get infected with genital herpes?

Unfortunately, herpes is highly contagious, and anyone without antibodies in their body can become infected. If you have antibodies, it is also a sign that you already have the virus in your body.

In relation to genital herpes, the primary infection is always the most serious, and this is where the body forms antibodies. If a pregnant woman becomes infected and experiences an outbreak during pregnancy, there is a possibility that the child will be infected. If, instead, there is a reactivation of genital herpes, the child will usually be protected by IgG antibodies from the mother, and thus the risk of infection is very small.

How do you get genital herpes?

Genital herpes is transmitted through sexual contact. More specifically, it is most contagious when the virus is in an outbreak, but it can also be transmitted even if a person does not experience symptoms because the virus is in the body. Especially with genital herpes, there is a high risk of transmission, even though a person may not be aware of this.

Infection occurs when skin or mucous membranes come into contact. And although it would be easy if a condom could ensure that herpes on the penis or herpes in the vagina was not contagious, this is not the case, but it will still reduce the risk of infection.

Can herpes be transmitted from mouth to genitals?

Herpes can be transmitted through contact between the mouth and the genitals. Therefore, oral sex also poses a risk of transmission when it comes to genital herpes, and especially if it is herpes on the penis or herpes on the genitals. If a person with herpes labialis performs oral sex on their partner, there is also a risk of transmission from the mouth to the genitals.

However, research shows that people with HSV-2 are partially protected from getting HSV-1 . If you do not have herpes, there is a risk of infection with both HSV-1 and HSV-2, but if you have genital herpes, i.e. HSV-2, you will have a strong immune system and only a small risk of getting HSV-1 through, for example, oral sex or kissing.

How is genital herpes treated?

When it comes to herpes, there is no medicine that can cure this virus. Since it settles in a number of nerve cells, it will remain in the body for the rest of your life. However, there are medicines for genital herpes that can inhibit HSV, thereby reducing the risk of repeated outbreaks and infection.

Medical treatment of genital herpes is done through your own doctor and with prescription medication such as acyclovir. The medication not only helps with reactivation and can therefore also help with the severe symptoms that many people experience during the first outbreak. How much and how long you need to take the medication depends on how often new outbreaks are experienced. If there is a tendency for this to happen often, it will be necessary to take the medication every day over a long period of time.

It doesn't matter when you start a course of medication for herpes. If it's a primary infection in an outbreak, you should start taking medication within five days of the onset of symptoms, and typically take the medication for 5-10 days, depending on how long new blisters continue to appear. If there are subsequent outbreaks, medication should ideally start within 24 hours of the first symptoms appearing.

Prescription medication for herpes works by inhibiting the reproduction of the Herpes virus and therefore only works during the period when the virus reproduces, which it only does in the very first initial phase of an outbreak (as long as new blisters appear). It is therefore imperative to start treatment immediately otherwise there will be no effect. The medication also has a number of reported side effects, so you need to think about and weigh the pros and cons before starting treatment.

In addition, there are a number of over-the-counter products that can effectively help prevent, relieve and treat genital herpes, in the form of gel or cream. These are milder and can therefore be purchased over-the-counter, as is the case with our products on this page.

How long is genital herpes contagious?

Genital herpes is generally contagious all the time. As mentioned, the risk is much greater when herpes is in an outbreak, and here the increased risk of infection will last as long as the virus is in an outbreak. Especially for HSV-2, there is a greater risk of infection all the time, and therefore it is good to choose a medical treatment, while also using a condom, which reduces the risk.

Although genital herpes can be present in the vagina or on the external genitals, the risk of infection is equally high. Therefore, it is not possible to avoid being exposed to infection if you have genital herpes.

What does genital herpes feel like?

How herpes on the genitals or genitals feels depends on how severe the outbreaks are and whether they are primary infection or secondary outbreaks.

During the primary infection, you will experience the strongest symptoms of herpes on the genitals. Here, the genitals will be red, swollen and tender, and there will be a lot of small blisters on the genitals, which can be very painful. At the same time, the blisters will turn into sores when they burst. In addition, many people experience a number of symptoms that are reminiscent of a common flu. These can be headaches, muscle pain or fever. You may also experience a burning sensation when urinating, and this is especially true if it is herpes in the vagina or herpes on the penis.

If HSV-2 re-emerge, the symptoms will often be milder. The small blisters will reappear, and the affected area will be tender and swollen. However, the number of blisters and sores will be reduced, and far fewer people will experience fever or other flu-like symptoms during secondary outbreaks.