Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted contagious disease for which there is no cure. The infection occurs in the genital or anal area, and the symptoms of genital herpes are called outbreaks. When you become infected with genital herpes, the first symptoms will show within two weeks.

A variety of symptoms can occur due to contracting genital herpes. Where the virus has entered your body, you may see sores. These usually appear on the rectal, genital or mouth area. You may also notice very small, red bumps. These sores can become itchy and turn into blisters, but they can also disappear without any scarring.

The sores may also appear elsewhere on the body, such as on broken skin where the virus may have entered the body. The sores can also appear in women inside the vagina or on the cervix. They may also appear in the urinary passage of both men and women. There are other symptoms that occur with the first outbreak of genital herpes, including difficulty in urinating, muscle pains, fever, vaginal discharge and swollen glands in the genital area. Although these symptoms may occur during the first outbreak, they may not appear during later outbreaks.

The symptoms of genital herpes are different in different people. Some infected people have very mild outbreaks, while others have no symptoms at all. Nevertheless, once infected, a person with genital herpes can pass on the disease very easily, through either sexual intercourse or oral sex. Genital herpes can also be passed on through skin-on-skin contact with broken skin.

There are two types of genital herpes. The herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 infects the mouth area and may be noticeable through blisters or cold sores around the mouth. HSV 1 also causes sores around the genital area. HSV 2 occurs mainly in the genital area.

It should be stressed that genital herpes is not a life threatening infection. It is a very common form of sexually transmitted disease. Research has shown that one in four women in the United States are infected with genital herpes. One out of five teenagers and adults in America are also infected. In the last thirty years, infection in young adults and teenagers has risen by 30%.

Although genital herpes is an incurable disease, there are medicines available to help. These help with outbreaks, treat the symptoms and decrease the risk of passing on the infection. There are also genital herpes counselling services available in order to help you talk through anxieties you may have after contracting the infection.