Treatment regimens usually involve the drugs flagyl or metronidaole. Men and women infected with genital herpes are often asymptomatic for long periods. Women can have a longer asymptomatic period and a more sever initial manifestation of disease than men, and women can transmit the virus during pregnancy and childbirth. Recurrent episodes are common, but are usually less severe over time. Acyclovir is the standard treatment for genital herpes.
Infection rates are disporportionately higher among poorer people living in inner city areas.
There are more than 60 types of HPV, and millions of sexualy active people are known to be infected with the virus. Some types of HPV cause genital infection, and a small number produce benign genital warts, which are non-ulcerative and frequently recur. Certain types of HPV are linked to pre-cancerous lesions or cancer of the cervix, vulva, penis, anus and throat. A recent study confirmed that gay men with HIV are at increased risk for HPV infection. In the presence of HIV, a broader variety of HPV infections tends to occur, infections often worsen and larger lesions appear.