Do I have Vaginal Herpes?

Nowadays, there are all sorts of things that we have to worry about when it comes to romantic partners.  If we are concerned about our health, we need to make sure that we don't get any sexually transmitted diseases.  This can be easy if you know what to do. 

Herpes is also known as the herpes simplex virus, or HSV for short.  There are two main forms of this virus, type one and type two.  Type one herpes is common with most people.  They come in the form of cold sores that happen in and around your mouth.  This isn't generally sexually transmitted and not something you need to worry too much about.  Genital herpes is the type two variety.  When you get this illness, you will experience several different kinds of symptoms.  For one thing, you will get an initial outbreak that can be very painful.  The first outbreak is usually the worst and it tends to happen about four to seven days after you contract the virus. 

The worst thing about herpes is that there is no cure.  While there are vaginal herpes treatments out there, they only help relieve the symptoms.  Not only that, but herpes is highly contagious.  You can contract this from closing contact with a vagina, penis, anus or other genital parts that happen to be infected.  This doesn't even need to be through sexual intercourse.  If you come into contact with the skin, you can get the illness.  There have been rumors floating around that, when someone who has herpes isn't going through an outbreak, you can't catch the illness.  This actually isn't true.  While it is harder to contract in this time, it is still possible.  In fact, most people who have herpes never or rarely experience any symptoms.  Some people who do have symptoms don't even notice them, so it can be really easy to catch this virus if you aren't careful.  The best way to avoid this is to limit sexual contact with multiple partners, and to always use condoms.

Vaginal herpes treatment is limited.  The best it can do is lessen your symptoms and outbreaks.  This means that when you had outbreaks maybe five times a year, it could limit your outbreaks to only two or three times each year, maybe less.  This is a good reason to take the medication since a herpes outbreak can be very painful for some people.  There are several prescription medications on the market that can do this for you.  Since they are all acquired with a prescription, you will need to contact a doctor in order to get help. 

If you know what to do and what to look for, you should be able to avoid getting vaginal herpes.  Remember to know your partners and to make sure that condoms are used whenever you have direct contact, whether or not you plan to have full intercourse.  This will drastically improve your chances of avoiding this terrible illness.  You will regret it otherwise.