Recurrences after successful treatment can occur in as many as one in three people. Women who have had warts or whose partners have been affected are advised to have annual smear tests. Herpes Genital herpes is caused by the Herpes simplex virus, primarily HSV-2. The virus is carried in the fluid of blisters found on the mouth or genitals of an infected person. Once infected, the virus travels to the nerve cell bodies where it stays dormant until reactivated again by trigger factors, such as stress, menstruation, fatigue and sexual intercourse.
Recurrent attacks tend to be shorter and less severe.
First episode genital herpes lasts several weeks and tends to be more severe in women. The infection presents as painful multiple lesions, beginning as vesicles and progressing to ulceration, crusting before they heal. Systemic symptoms are also common and include fever and malaise, and sometimes aseptic meningitis and dysuria. Neonatal infection can be acquired during birth but Caesarean section can avoid this happening. There is no cure for herpes, but an anti-viral, such as aciclovir, famciclovir and valaciclovir, can help minimise the severity and length of the first attack, and can be taken for recurrent attacks when prodromal symptoms appear.