Trusted medical advice from the
American Academy of Family Physicians.
American Academy of Family Physicians.
- Condition
Herpes

What is herpes?
Herpes is the name of a group of viruses that cause painful blisters and sores. The most common viruses are:
- Herpes zoster – causes chickenpox and shingles
- Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 and type 2 – causes cold sores or fever blisters around the mouth and sores on the genitals (sexual organs).
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Once you are infected, you have the virus for the rest of your life.
Symptoms of herpes
Many people who get herpes never have
symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms are mild and are mistaken for another
skin condition. If you experience symptoms, they may include:
- painful sores in the genital area, anus, buttocks, or thighs
- itching
- painful urination
- vaginal discharge
- tender lumps in the groin.
During the first outbreak (called primary
herpes), you may experience flu-like symptoms. These include body
aches, fever, and headache. Many people who have a herpes infection will
have outbreaks of sores and symptoms from time to time. Symptoms are
usually less severe than the primary outbreak. The frequency of
outbreaks also tends to decrease over time.
Stages of infection
Once you have been infected with the virus, you’ll go through different stages of infection.
Primary stage
This stage usually starts 2 to 8 days after
you’re infected. Usually, the infection causes groups of small, painful
blisters. The fluid in the blisters may be clear or cloudy. The area
under the blisters will be red. The blisters break open and become open
sores. You may not ever notice the blisters, or they may be painful. It
may hurt to urinate during this stage. You may run a fever, feel achy,
and have other flu-like symptoms.
While most people have a painful primary
stage of infection, some don’t have any symptoms at all. They may not
even know they’re infected.
Latent stage
During this stage, there are no blisters,
sores, or other symptoms. The virus is traveling from your skin into the
nerves near your spine.
Shedding stage
In the shedding stage, the virus starts
multiplying in the nerve endings. If these nerve endings are in areas of
the body that make or are in contact with body fluids, the virus can
get into those body fluids. This could include saliva, semen, or vaginal
fluids. There are no symptoms during this stage, but the virus can be
spread during this time.
Recurrences
Many people have blisters and sores that
come back after the first herpes attack goes away. This is called a
recurrence. Usually, the symptoms aren’t as bad as they were during the
first attack.
Stress, being sick, or being tired may start a
recurrence. Being in the sun or having your menstrual period may also
cause a recurrence. You may know when a recurrence is about to happen
because you may feel itching, tingling, or pain in the places where you
were first infected.
What causes herpes?
The virus that causes genital herpes is
usually spread from one person to another during vaginal, oral, or anal
sex. The virus can enter your body through a break in your skin. It can
also enter through the skin of your mouth, penis, vagina, urinary tract
opening, or anus. Herpes is most easily spread when blisters or sores
can be seen on the infected person. But it can be spread at any time,
even when the person who has herpes isn’t experiencing any symptoms.
Herpes can also be spread from one place on
your body to another. If you touch sores on your genitals, you can carry
the virus on your fingers. Then you can pass it onto other parts of
your body, including your mouth or eyes.
A pregnant woman should tell her doctor if
she has genital herpes, or if she has ever had sex with someone who had
it. If you have an active genital herpes infection at or near the time
of delivery, you can pass it to your baby. When the baby passes through
the birth canal, it may come in contact with sores and become infected
with the virus. This can cause brain damage, blindness, or even death in
newborns.
If you have an active herpes outbreak when you
go into labor, your doctor may do a cesarean section (C-section). Then
the baby won’t have to go through the birth canal and be exposed to the
virus.
How is herpes diagnosed?
Your doctor will do a physical exam and look at
the sores. He or she can do a culture of the fluid from a sore and test
it for herpes. Blood tests or other tests on the fluid from a blister
can also be done.
Can herpes be prevented or avoided?
The best way to prevent getting herpes is
to not have sex with anyone who has the virus. It can be spread even
when the person who has it isn’t showing any symptoms. If your partner
has herpes, there is no way of knowing for sure that you won’t get it.
There is no time that is completely safe to
have sex and not spread herpes. If you have herpes, you must tell your
sex partner. You should avoid having sex if you have any sores. Herpes
can spread from one person to another very easily when sores are
present.
You should use condoms every time you have sex.
They can help reduce the risk of spreading herpes. It is still possible
to spread or get herpes if you are using a condom.
Herpes treatment
If you think you have herpes, see your
doctor as soon as possible. It is easier to diagnose when there are
sores. You can start treatment sooner and perhaps have less pain with
the infection.
There is no cure for herpes. But medicines
can help. Medicines such as acyclovir and valacyclovir fight the herpes
virus. They can speed up healing and lessen the pain of herpes for many
people. They can be used to treat a primary outbreak or a recurrent one.
If the medicines are being used to treat a
repeat outbreak, they should be started as soon as you feel any
tingling, burning, or itching. They can also be taken every day to
prevent recurrences. Acyclovir also comes in a cream to put on sores
during the primary stage or during recurrences.
What if I have herpes and become pregnant?
If you have genital herpes and are
pregnant, be sure to tell your doctor. He or she will give you an
antiviral medicine. This will make it less likely that you will have an
outbreak at or near the time you deliver your baby. If you do have an
outbreak of genital herpes at the time of delivery, your doctor will
most likely deliver your baby by C-section. With a C-section, the risk
of giving herpes to your baby is small.
What if I get herpes during pregnancy?
If you have your first genital herpes
outbreak during pregnancy, tell your doctor. He or she may want to treat
you with an antiviral medicine. The risk of your baby getting herpes is
much higher if you have your first genital herpes outbreak near the
time of delivery.
It is important to avoid getting herpes during
pregnancy. If your partner has herpes and you do not have it, be sure to
use condoms during sexual intercourse at all times. Your partner could
pass the infection to you even if he is not currently experiencing an
outbreak. If there are visible sores, avoid having sex completely until
the sores have healed.
Living with herpes
It’s common to feel guilty or ashamed when
you are diagnosed with herpes. You may feel that your sex life is ruined
or that someone you thought you could trust has hurt you. You may feel
sad or upset. Talk to your family doctor about how you’re feeling.
Keep in mind that herpes is very common.
About 1 in 6 adults have it. Herpes may get less severe as time goes by.
You can help protect your sex partner by not having sex during
outbreaks and by using condoms at other times.
Tips on dealing with herpes
- Talk to your doctor if you think you may have herpes.
- Remember that you’re not alone. Millions of people have herpes.
- Keep yourself healthy and limit your stress.
- Don’t touch your sores.
- Tell your sex partner and use condoms.
Tips to soothe the pain
- Take aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).
- Place lukewarm or cool cloths on the sore place.
- Take lukewarm baths. (A woman may urinate in the tub at the end of the bath if she is having pain urinating. This may help dilute the urine so it doesn’t burn the sores so badly.)
- Keep the area dry and clean.
- Wear cotton underwear.
- Wear loose-fitting clothes.
Questions to ask your doctor
- What is the best treatment for me?
- Is it safe to have unprotected sex if I don’t have any sores?
- Can I give myself genital herpes if I also have oral herpes?
- What is the best way to prevent herpes outbreaks?
- If I give my baby herpes, is there any treatment?
- Are there any side effects to my treatment?
- Can I live a normal life with herpes?
- Am I at risk of developing any other diseases?
- Are there any support groups in my area?
- Can I give someone else herpes even if I’m not having an outbreak?

Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians
This information provides a general overview
and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if
this information applies to you and to get more information on this
subject.