Women, You Can Get Female Genital Herpes

What is female genital herpes? Why is it important for women to know more about it? Is it contagious? What are the signs and symptoms? How do you treat it? These are just some of the many questions related to this communicable disease.

Any woman should be interested to know more about it since it can be passed on from one person to another. Moreover, the herpes can get quite complicated causing more serious consequences including urine retention and newborn infection.

Causes of Female Genital Herpes

Also known as herpes genitalis, the genital herpes on women is caused by two types of viruses. These are type 1 and type 2 simplex. Between the two, though, it’s the latter that is more frequent when you talk about genital herpes. The former, on the other hand, usually lounges on the face, particularly in the jawbone, and can cause blisters on the lips, tongue, mouth and throat.

As a virus, it can be passed on from one person to another. Type 1 can be transmitted by touching the sores of people with fever blisters or by kissing them. Type 2, meanwhile, can become communicable through sexual intercourse. This is the reason why genital herpes falls under sexually transmitted diseases.

It will actually take some time before you will discover that you have the virus. There are even others who will never develop the symptoms at all. The virus will just lay dormant or inactive as long as your immune system is very strong.

Female Genital Herpes Symptoms

Almost always, though, you develop the symptoms associated with the virus. The first signs may appear at least 2 to 3 weeks after the infection. What does genital herpes look like? The disease is normally ignored because the sores first appear like pimples in the vagina. Many women consider them as acne growing in other parts of the body.

However, these pimple-like bumps may become more severe causing genital sores. The area where they grow may become tingling or itchy. They may then become very dry, and the pimples will start to “burst.” These sores or blisters will start to bring out mild white discharges. Depending on the severity, the genital area can be very painful.

There are also others who will develop slight fever, as well as pain in their lower back. They may also suffer from muscle pain. The sores can travel to other areas, including the uterus. If you touch the infected area with your hand, you can move the virus even to your face.

Different Treatment Options for Female Genital Herpes

The physician will normally test you if you have the herpes virus before you will be given medications or treatments for the illness. If the symptoms are very pronounced, he or she can simply conduct a visual inspection. Otherwise, you have to go through a blood test, which can determine the presence of antibodies against the viruses.

Sadly, there’s no known cure yet for genital herpes, though a vaccine seems to be under way. If you have the condition, the most common treatment for genital herpes relief will be anti-viral drugs that can shorten the period of the outbreak (usually it lasts for two weeks). If you have the tendency to experience reoccurrence, you may have to take suppressive drugs.