Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) causes most cases of genital herpes. HSV-2 can be spread through secretions from the mouth or genitals.
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) most often causes herpes infections of the mouth and lips (commonly called cold sores or fever blisters). HSV-1 can spread from the mouth to the genitals during oral sex.
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is spread from one person to another during sexual contact. You may be infected with herpes when your skin, vagina, penis, or mouth comes into contact with someone who already has herpes.
Herpes is most likely to be transmitted by contact with the skin of an infected person who has visible sores, blisters, or a rash (an active outbreak), but you can also catch herpes from an infected person's skin when they have NO visible sores present (and the person may not even know that he or she is infected), or from an infected persons mouth (saliva) or vaginal fluids.
Because the virus can be spread even when there are no symptoms or sores present, a sexual partner who has been infected with herpes in the past but has no active herpes sores can still pass the infection on to others.
Genital HSV-2 infections is more common in women (approximately 1 of every 4 women is infected) than it is in men (nearly 1 of every 8 men is infected).
Symptoms
Many people with HSV-2 infection never have sores, or they have very mild symptoms that they do not even notice or mistake for insect bites or another skin condition.
If signs and symptoms do occur during the first outbreak, they can be quite severe. This first outbreak usually happens within 2 weeks of being infected.
Generalized or whole-body (systemic) symptoms may include:
Decreased appetite
Fever
General sick feeling (Malaise)
Muscle aches in the lower back, buttocks, thighs, or knees
Genital symptoms include the appearance of small, painful blisters filled with clear or straw-colored fluid. They are usually found:
In women: on the outer vaginal lips (labia), vagina, cervix, around the anus, and on the thighs or buttocks
In men: on the penis, scrotum, around the anus, on the thighs or buttocks
In both sexes: on the tongue, mouth, eyes, gums, lips, fingers, and other parts of the body
Before the blisters appear, the person may feel the skin tingling, burning, itching, or have pain at the site where th
Herpes simplex (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Herpes simplex is a viral infection that mainly affects the mouth or genital area.Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 05/30/2009
Herpes viral culture of lesion (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Herpes viral culture of a lesion is a laboratory test to check if a skin sample is infected with the herpes simplex virus. See also: Genital herpes; Herpes labialis (cold sores; Serum herpes simplex antibodies.Reviewer: Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, WA; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/13/2009
Herpes - resources (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
The following organizations are good resources for information on genital herpes: American Social Health Association - www.ashastd.org; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/STDFact-herpes.htm. Reviewer: Jennifer K. Mannheim, CRNP, private practice, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 10/20/2008
Genital warts (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Genital warts are soft wart-like growths on the genitals caused by a viral skin disease. Genital warts are a type of sexually transmitted disease (STD), also called a sexually transmitted infection (STI.Reviewer: Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine; Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 05/26/2008
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