Genital herpes in women

by Abbas Jahangir · July 6, 2024

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a virus called herpes simplex virus . Genital herpes causes painful blisters and sores on and around the genitals.

There are 2 different types of herpes simplex virus (type 1 and type 2), both of which can affect the genitals.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 is most commonly associated with genital infection, virus type 1 can also affect the genital area but is better known for causing lesions in the mouth.

You can get genital herpes by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex, or by sharing sex toys with someone who has the infection.

The herpes virus enters the body through:

The mucosa of the mouth
Vaginal lips
Vagina
Year
Normal skin that has small cracks or cuts

It can also be transmitted from mother to baby during childbirth.

Sometimes you can get herpes even when your sexual partner does not have visible blisters or symptoms. This is because the virus can activate on the skin without causing visible blisters or sores.

What are the symptoms of genital herpes in women?

Many people with the herpes virus do not experience any symptoms when they are first infected.

If symptoms occur, they generally take 2 to 12 days after contact to appear. Sometimes the first outbreak of the disease will not occur until months or years after infection.

Symptoms may include:

Pain or itching around the genitals
Flu-like symptoms, including fever
Inflamed glands
Small bumps or blisters around the genitals, anus, or mouth
Painful ulcers that form when blisters break and ooze or bleed
Scabs that form as ulcers heal
Discharge from the urethra, the tube that releases urine from the body
Vaginal discharge

Women often experience additional symptoms including painful urination (dysuria) and cervicitis.

Blisters appear where the infection enters the body. You can spread the infection by touching a sore and then rubbing or scratching another area of your body. That includes your fingers or eyes.

Blisters may appear on:

Buttocks
Thighs
Straight
Year
Mouth
Urethra
Vulva
Vagina
Cervix

After the initial infection, the virus may remain dormant in the nerve cells of the affected area of your body, which is why you may have further outbreaks.

For most, these outbreaks occur less frequently over time. Signs of herpes infection are usually milder than during the first outbreak, and they go away faster.

Treatment for genital herpes

There is no cure for genital herpes. Symptoms usually go away on their own, but blisters may reappear from time to time.

There are antiviral medications that can make outbreaks less severe. You will usually need to take the antiviral medication for 3 to 5 days.

Pain can usually be controlled with simple painkillers and a local anesthetic cream.

Precautions during pregnancy

Genital herpes can be passed to your baby during childbirth, although the risk is very low. A baby born with herpes could:

Born before time
Have brain, skin or eye problems
Not surviving

If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, tell your doctor about your history of herpes. Antiviral medications will sometimes be recommended towards the end of pregnancy, this is to try to prevent an outbreak around the time of delivery.

Prevention

Preventing genital herpes is the same as preventing other sexually transmitted infections.

To avoid infection, have safer sex: