A person may be infected, but have no symptoms. This means that a person with no obvious sores can spread the disease. These sores are usually painful. The blisters last for about a week, and then dry up. They may return several times a year or a few years later.
Treatment includes a medication called acyclovir that stops the virus from reproducing itself.
It does not eliminate the virus from the body. Treatment may help shorten the length of any single outbreak. Some people take the medicine daily to stop outbreaks from recurring. Depending on the location of the sores on the genitals, herpes may be prevented by using a latex or plastic condom every time you have sex. If you have a history of herpes and are planning to get pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider.