A third type is herpes zoster, which causes chicken pox and, as a secondary infection, shingles. Type II can produce blisters either on the genitals or on, or around, the mouth. We will here deal only with Type II, which is also called herpes genitalis, venereal herpes, and genital herpes. It is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease in the United States. The first attack generally occurs about 4-8 days after initial exposure to a sexual partner.
Symptoms reoccur from every few weeks to once a year or less.
Scarring does not usually occur, but can. Outbreaks rarely occur after the age of 50. Herpes is a virus which enters the body thorough the skin and travels into nerve groups at the base of the spine. It remains with you the rest of your lifetime. But it can be dormant for years and then appear again when the immune system is lowered by poor diet, stress, illness, too much sunlight, or harmful chemicals.