Genital Herpes & Cold Sores
Facts • Tests • Symptoms • Transmission • Treatment • Partners • What to Expect • Lower Risk
We offer help in diagnosing, treating and preventing herpes.
Our board-certified Nurse Practitioners at FamilyCare of Kent, Washington routinely counsel and treat teens, young adults and adults for herpes-1 & -2 infections. They can help you to prevent future outbreaks and reduce the risk of your partners becoming infected.
If you think you may have herpes right now, call FamilyCare of Kent, Washington at (253) 859-CARE (2273) for an appointment. Same day appointments are usually available Monday through Friday.
The Facts
- Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted virus.
- Genital herpes is common in both men and women in the U.S.
- Most people who have genital herpes don’t know it. There are often no symptoms. About 20% of people age 14 and above have herpes-2. That is one out of 5 individuals.
- If you have symptoms, the most common ones are painful blisters and sores.
- You can pass genital herpes to others without knowing it.
- There is no cure for genital herpes, but there are treatments for the symptoms.
- Recurrences can usually be prevented.
- Genital herpes does not usually cause serious health problems.
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How can I find out if my partner or I have genital herpes?
Ask a FamilyCare nurse practitioner or other health care provider for help. Even without symptoms blood tests may help determine if you have genital herpes. If you have an active lesion a culture done while the lesion is present may give a definite answer.
You should be tested for genital herpes if:
- You have any symptoms (like an unusual sore).
- Your partner has genital herpes or symptoms that might be genital herpes.
- You are entering a new relationship and you want to be tested for STDs.
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What are the symptoms of genital herpes?
Genital herpes often doesn’t cause any symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you might notice:
- Painful blisters or sores on or around the genitals or anus. These sores typically heal within two to four weeks. The sores may follow an itchy or tingling sensation and usually occur in the same spot each time.
- Feeling like you have the flu when the sores are present.
- Sores that come back several times within a year. The presence of the sores is called an outbreak.
There are two types of genital herpes virus - HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both types can cause sores or blisters on or around the genitals although HSV-2 is most common in this area. Both can also cause sores on the mouth or lips, which are called cold sores or fever blisters. Infections in this area are most commonly caused by HSV-1.
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How does someone get genital herpes?
- You can get genital herpes by having sex with someone who has it. “Having sex” means having anal, oral, or vaginal sex.
- You can also get genital herpes if your genitals touch the infected skin or secretions (like saliva through oral sex) of someone who has it.
- You can get genital herpes even if your partner shows no signs of the infection.
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Can genital herpes be treated?
- Yes, the symptoms can be treated effectively. However there is no cure for genital herpes.
- The faster treatment is started the more effective it is, and the faster it will work.
- Some medicines can prevent the blisters or make them go away faster.
- Oral medications work much better than those applied directly to the skin.
- If you have several outbreaks in a year, a treatment called daily suppressive therapy can reduce the number of outbreaks and reduce your chance of passing the infection to your sex partners.
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If I have genital herpes, what does that mean for my partner?
- Your partner may have genital herpes, too.
- Be sure to tell your recent sex partners, so they can go to their health care providers to be evaluated and maybe treated.
- Avoid having sex with an uninfected partner when you have visible sores or other symptoms.
- Be aware that even if you don’t have symptoms, you can still infect your partner.
- If you have HSV-2 and your partner does not, then consider taking medication every day to decrease the risk of spreading it to your partner by 50%.
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What can I expect to happen if I have genital herpes?
Men and Women
- You can expect to have several outbreaks (up to four or five) a year. Over time you can expect to have fewer outbreaks.
- You have a higher chance of getting an HIV infection if you have unprotected sex with a partner living with HIV.
- Knowing that you have genital herpes may make you feel worried or sad. Talk with a nurse practitioner about your concerns.
Pregnant Women
- In rare cases, you could pass the infection to your baby.
- If you have active genital herpes when you go into labor, you may need to have a cesarean delivery (“C-section”).
- Be sure to tell your nurse-midwife if you or your partner has genital herpes.
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How can I lower my risk for genital herpes?
- The surest way to prevent genital herpes is to have sex only with someone who’s not infected and who has sex only with you or to avoid having sex entirely.
- Condoms can reduce your risk of getting genital herpes if used the right way every single time you have sex. But a condom protects only the area of the body that it covers. Areas the condom doesn’t cover can become infected.
- Washing the genitals, urinating, or douching after sex will not prevent any sexually transmitted disease (STD).
- If your partner has HSV-2 they can reduce your risk of infection by 50% if your partner takes medication daily.
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A message for everyone
Protect Yourself and Your Partner
Always see a health care provider if your partner is being treated for genital herpes. Also see the provider if you or your sex partner notice any symptoms, such as an unusual sore.
If you have genital herpes, you should be tested for other STDs. Be sure to tell your recent sex partners, so they can get tested too. Talk openly and honestly with your partner about genital herpes and other STDs.
Our nurse practitioners will counsel you about which treatment options may be best for your personal needs. They will also help you protect yourself from potentially life-threatening STDs and unwanted pregnancy.
The NPs at FamilyCare of Kent deliver the highest quality of care. They are board-certified family nurse practitioners with over 70 years’ combined experience and thousands of happy patients. They include nationally recognized clinicians, teachers and speakers, including those who sit on the editorial boards of professional journals and who serve on the clinical faculty at the University of Washington.
You will appreciate their caring, compassion, integrity and honesty. They will appreciate and welcome your referrals.
For more information about confidential herpes or STD treatment and diagnosis options or to schedule an appointment, call FamilyCare of Kent, Washington at (253) 859-CARE (2273) or use our online appointment request form.
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Content adapted from material provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.