How Do I Know If I Have Genital Herpes?
Most people infected with genital herpes have very minimal or no signs or symptoms of their disease. The first attack of herpes usually follows this course:
- Skin on or near the sex organ becomes inflamed. Skin may burn, itch, or be painful.
- Blister-like sores appear on or near the sex organs.
- Sores open, scab over, and then heal.
Symptoms that may also be present when the virus first appears include:
- Swollen glands
- Fever
- Headache
- Burning when passing urine
- Muscle aches
The first outbreak of herpes can last for several weeks. After the outbreak, the virus retreats to the nervous system, where it remains inactive until something triggers it to become active again.
Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first episode. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.
