The ulcers are most frequent on the glans, foreskin and shaft of the penis. They are sore or painful and last for 2 to 3 weeks if untreated. The local lymph glands are enlarged and tender. In women, similar lesions occur on the external genitalia and the mucosae of the vulva, vagina and cervix. Pain and difficulty passing urine are common.
Symptoms tend to be more severe in women than in men.
After the initial infection, obvious or inapparent, there may be no further clinical manifestations throughout life. Recurrences are more frequent with type 2 genital herpes than with type 1. In most cases, however, no reason for the recurrence is evident. Recurrent infections differ from first infections in that the blisters are usually smaller in size and more closely grouped. They also tend to be of shorter duration than the initial infection, usually 5-10 days.