10 Herpes Symptoms in Women
Article Sources
- 1. 'Genital Herpes,' Florida Department of Health, www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/sexually-transmitted-diseases/std-fact-sheets/Genital Herpes.html
- 2. 'STD Facts - Genital Herpes (Detailed Version).’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes-detailed.htm
- 3. 'Herpes Simplex Virus.’ World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus
- 4. Wald A;Selke S;Warren T;Aoki FY;Sacks S;Diaz-Mitoma F;Corey L; ‘Comparative Efficacy of Famciclovir and Valacyclovir for Suppression of Recurrent Genital Herpes and Viral Shedding.’ PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16540883
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection. It's caused by the herpes simplex virus, which finds its way into the body through breaks on the skin and mucous membranes. There are two types of herpes simplex virus, including herpes simplex virus-1, which typically causes cold sores, and herpes simplex virus-2, which typically causes genital herpes.
However, both can infect the genital areas or mouth. Contact between the genital area and a mouth with a cold sore could cause genital herpes. Likewise, kissing a person with a cold sore can lead to a herpes simplex virus infection.
Prevalence
Herpes is common. About one in six people aged 14 to 49 have been infected with herpes simplex virus-2, the primary cause of genital herpes.1‘Genital Herpes,’ Florida Department of Health, www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/sexually-transmitted-diseases/std-fact-sheets/Genital Herpes.html Some estimates suggest that 572,000 people in the U.S. are infected by the virus every year.2‘STD Facts - Genital Herpes (Detailed Version).’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes-detailed.htm
Herpes is more prevalent in women than men, and it spreads more readily from men to women than it does from women to men. According to estimates by the World Health Organization, or WHO, herpes simplex virus-1 infects about 67 percent of people aged 50 or younger, most whom are unaware that they have the virus.3‘Herpes Simplex Virus.’ World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus
Signs and Symptoms
Many people who become infected with genital herpes experience mild symptoms. Genital herpes can also be asymptomatic. Many women with the condition are not aware that they have it.
Symptoms of herpes include painful blisters around the vaginal area. They're typically painful, filled with fluid and may look like pimples. The blisters may also appear around the buttocks or anus. They heal within two to four weeks and may form ulcers when they break open. Repeat outbreaks are shorter and milder than the first outbreak.
Herpes and Cervicitis
Flu-like symptoms may occur with the first outbreak of genital herpes. These symptoms include chills, fever, swollen lymph nodes and body aches. Before the outbreak occurs, a person may experience burning, itching and a tingling sensation on their skin.
Genital herpes in women typically leads to blistering lesions around the vaginal opening and on the vulva. These lesions eventually form ulcers. In most cases, the infection spreads to the cervix and causes cervicitis, which may be the only genital herpes symptom in some women.
Infection and Incubation
The herpes viruses enter the body through tiny breaks in skin or mucous membrane tissue when skin-to-skin contact occurs. An asymptomatic infected person can spread the virus, so avoiding sexual contact with people with no active blisters is not a surefire way of prevention.
Normal-looking skin can spread the virus, as can clothing that has touched genital skin ulcers. The average incubation period of herpes is four days after exposure. However, it may take anywhere between two to 12 days for the symptoms to appear.
Transmission
Transmission of the herpes simplex virus occurs via direct person-to-person contact. Sexual contact of any type involving the genitals can spread genital herpes. Oral sex, or mouth to genital contact, with a person with herpes infection of the mouth or cold sores can also cause genital herpes.
The likelihood of an infected male transmitting herpes to a female partner is higher than an infected female transmitting to a male partner.
Herpes Is Incurable
The frequency and severity of herpes outbreaks vary from person to person. One factor that may affect individual outbreaks is the health of the immune system, with the worst outbreaks typically occurring among people with suppressed immune systems. Other factors include stress, other illnesses and certain medications.
There is no cure for genital herpes. Once infection occurs, it persists throughout a person's life, and outbreaks may reoccur. However, medications can reduce the frequency and severity of outbreaks. Treatments to manage symptoms are also available.
Diagnosis
In most cases, the characteristic signs and symptoms of genital herpes is enough to establish a diagnosis of the infection. A health care provider may also perform lab tests, such as a polymerase chain reaction test or virus culture, to detect the virus's genetic material.
Other possible tests that a doctor may use to determine whether a person is infected include immunological tests that detect antibodies that the body produces to fight genital herpes.
Treatment
Antiviral medications help manage the duration and severity of outbreaks. Individuals need to take these medications immediately before or within 24 hours of an outbreak. Medications that a doctor may prescribe include valacyclovir, famciclovir and acyclovir.4Wald A;Selke S;Warren T;Aoki FY;Sacks S;Diaz-Mitoma F;Corey L; ‘Comparative Efficacy of Famciclovir and Valacyclovir for Suppression of Recurrent Genital Herpes and Viral Shedding.’ PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16540883
These medications are typically taken orally but may be administered intravenously in rare, severe cases. There are also topical medications that can be applied directly to the sores. However, topical medications are generally not used because they are not as effective as those taken orally.
Managing Herpes During Pregnancy
Oral antiviral medications may be used to manage herpes in pregnant women. One serious concern of genital herpes in pregnant women is the baby potentially becoming infected during vaginal delivery. In infants, genital herpes may cause severe health problems.
Doctors perform cesarean delivery for women who go into labor while they have an active genital herpes outbreak to prevent transmission of the virus to the baby during birth. If a pregnant woman takes oral antivirals early enough, they may have a safe vaginal delivery.
Living With Herpes
There are no effective natural or home remedies for genital herpes, which are incurable. Home care measures, such as wearing loose-fitting cotton underwear and keeping the blisters dry after showers, may help to relieve the symptoms of genital herpes.
Treatment and management of genital herpes is done by primary care providers, such as family medicine specialists and pediatricians for adolescents. Gynecologists are typically the treating physicians for pregnant women. Infectious disease specialists and urologists may intervene in some cases.
