Genital herpes: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Herpes is a disease of an infectious nature that is transmitted mainly through sexual contact. This disease is characterized by itching, pain, redness in the genital area and ulcers. The risk of infection is sexual.

The main symptoms of genital herpes

People infected with herpes may not be aware of their disease, since for years the infection can live in the body in a "dormant" state, without giving any signs. Sexual herpes can be combined with other infection localizations, for example, with damage to the skin of the face and trunk.

The main signs of herpes can be:

- headache;

- pain in the groin;

- pain in the buttocks and legs;

- Pain when urinating;

- papular rash on the body, sores;

- fever - subfebrile condition.

Factors contributing to the exacerbation of the virus in the body:

- menstruation;

- stress;

- chronic diseases;

- seasonal vitamin deficiency;

- surgical interventions;

Weakened immunity.

Sexual Herpis: Causes

The causative agents of the infection are the viruses of HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 is characterized by the appearance of a herpetic rash in the mouth area.

HSV-2, as a rule, is caused by HSV-1. If the surface of the skin has open wounds, the virus can spread through damage to the skin and mucous membranes.

HSV-2 is quite common. According to the research, 54 million people in Russia aged 12 years are carriers of HSV-2 and, as a rule, the infection in the body is in a latent state.

What should I do with genital herpes

If you suspect that you are an infection carrier, visit the doctor immediately. In most cases, people infected with genital herpes are diagnosed with other diseases that spread during sexual intercourse. The doctor will conduct a full examination for the presence of urogenital infections and prescribe a course of treatment. If you doubt and do not know if there was an exacerbation of the infection or not, a blood test for the DNA of HPV-1 and HPV-2 will yield a reliable result. However, if you have an HPV-1 infection, a blood test will not determine which infection is oral or genital. Sexual herpes is diagnosed on the basis of patient complaints in the presence of vesicles (vesicles) and ulcers. As soon as the immunity of a person decreases, the sexual herpes begins to declare itself lasting exacerbations.

Genital herpes in women

If the exacerbation occurred during the period of childbirth, the infant may become infected with the infection while moving through the mother's birth canal. Infection with herpes of newborns can cause a number of serious pathologies - blindness, brain trauma, in extreme cases can lead to death. Infection is widespread among infants whose mothers suffered an exacerbation during pregnancy and childbirth.

Treatment of genital herpes in men and women is reduced to the prevention of the disease and to the use of drugs that block the spread of infection. For today, there is no remedy for complete cure for genital herpes in medicine. However, there are drugs that reduce the risk of spreading the infection. If the treatment is prescribed in a timely manner and is carried out on a daily basis, it is possible to avoid infection of the sexual partner.

Prophylaxis of genital herpes is similar to the prevention of STDs. Limit precautions should be observed in the period of exacerbation of the disease. Prevention is reduced to abstinence from promiscuous sexual intercourse. Also, as precautionary measures, it is necessary to minimize the number of sexual partners and use a condom during each sexual encounter.

If you are pregnant, make sure you do not have HPV, give the necessary tests that diagnose the disease. If an infection is detected from the 36th week of pregnancy, the doctor prescribes medications to avoid exacerbations of HPV during the period of labor activity. If the exacerbation occurs during the period of delivery, most likely, the doctor will appoint a cesarean section in order to avoid infection of the fetus with the herpes virus.

Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene in genital herpes

If you have an acute infection:

- Refrain from sex;

- observe the rules of hygiene of affected skin areas;

- do not forget that the virus can be activated even if there are no signs;

- before resuming sexual relations with your partner, make sure that the relapses are eliminated;

- To reduce the likelihood of infection of your partner, use latex condoms.