What is Herpes
The answer to the question “what is herpes?” is not easily answered, because there are many different forms of the disease. There are types of the herpes virus that cause chicken pox, shingles, mononucleosis, and several other infections that are transferred with skin-to-skin contact. However, when most people ask “what is herpes?’ they are referring to herpes simplex 2 which causes genital herpes. There is also a high incidence rate for herpes simplex 1, which causes cold sores, but under the right conditions can also cause genital herpes.
The answer to “what is herpes?”--meaning the genital type, is that herpes is a virus, easily spread by body to body contact, that presents itself as a blister or a group of blisters in the genital or anal areas of both men and women. The blisters break, ooze and heal in a period of 2-3 weeks. Herpes is painful and once you have herpes, you have it for life. Herpes is easy to get but can be well-managed with a combination of medication and safe sex practices. The biggest complication with herpes can be during pregnancy, particularly if the woman has her first outbreak late in the pregnancy. If this is the case, it is possible for the baby to be infected and it can be fatal. Thankfully, this is a very, very rare occurrence.
What is harder to overcome than the virus, for most people, is the stigma attached to the condition. Many people are afraid to tell their sexual partners they have herpes, because it is often thought to be attached to promiscuity, and often brings up feelings of shame and guilt or even of being unclean. Partners often feel that they have been betrayed and not only that, they now have the possibility of having herpes themselves.
The truth is, one in every five sexually active people in the U.S have genital herpes--that’s 60 million people--and 80% of the adult population has herpes simplex 1, which causes cold sores or genital herpes. The other difficulty is that genital herpes can reside in your body and can have absolutely no symptoms at all. You may even be transferring the disease yourself without knowing it.
If you have sores in the genital area, see a medical practitioner to get a firm diagnosis. They will most likely take a sample of the sore for testing. If you suspect you have herpes but have no symptoms, a blood test can determine if you have antibodies in your system for either herpes simplex 1 or 2. If you are diagnosed with herpes, there are antiviral oral and topical medications that can lessen the severity and help the blisters to heal quicker. Generally, if you have an outbreak of genital herpes, you can expect to have up to five more in the first year. The first outbreak of blisters is usually the worst, and as time passes they will become less frequent.
The only positive way not to contract herpes is to abstain from sex. The next best way is to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship where both people have tested negative for herpes simplex 1 or 2. People who have active outbreaks of sores should abstain from sexual intercourse until they have healed. Latex condoms can reduce the risk of transmitting the disease to an uninfected partner.
Now that you have some answers to the “what is herpes?” question, if you think you might have herpes, see your doctor for treatment. There is no cure for herpes but it can be managed in such a way that you can live a normal, healthy life.