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VAGINAL HERPES

Genital or vaginal herpes is a disease that lasts a lifetime and can result in painful outbreak of ulcers and blisters in the genital areas. Genital herpes can affect both women and men equally and it is basically caused by the herpes simplex virus. The virus can be transmitted quite easily through exchange of body fluids like saliva, cervical fluid, semen and the fluid from the lesions.

Vaginal herpes is extremely common and women can be infected from men suffering from herpes. Women are more prone to developing this infection quite simply because the woman’s genital areas have greater amount of moistness with the body fluids and mucosal cells. Also hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle in women may affect their immune system and this in turn may make it easier for this disease to afflict women.

The initial vaginal herpes outbreak is longer lasting than other outbreaks. Women also tend to experience genital herpes with greater severity and there may be more complications in the first outbreak of this condition. The lesions in this condition can occur in genital areas like the vulva, inner part of the vagina, the urethra and the cervix. The lesions can also be observed on the inner regions of the thighs and the buttocks.

The lesions observed in vaginal herpes are infectious for around 3 weeks and these blisters often contain a number of viral particles that are rather infectious. Along with a rash a woman may also suffer from swelling of the lymph nodes within the groin region. Many women also experience burning sensation while urinating.

Some women suffering from vaginal herpes may also experience pain in their pelvis along with a vaginal discharge. Lesions inside the urethra may in some cases be misdiagnosed as yeast infections. In recurrent outbreaks women may simply experience an irritation without any rash.

A woman who is suffering from vaginal herpes and who is pregnant can pass on the infection to her child. For this purpose it is important to determine if the infection is active. Also in some cases the doctors may conduct a cesarean section for the delivery. While genital herpes cannot be cured it can be treated in a way wherein the symptoms can be managed.

The treatment of genital herpes may include some anti viral medicines. It is also important to keep the area clean and dry. It is also important that the sores are not touched and patients should always wash their hands after touching the affected areas. Sexual contact should be avoided if the symptoms of an outbreak are experienced. Such sexual contact should be avoided till the sores completely heal. Also it is advisable to use protection in the form of condoms.