Awareness is Prevention

Of course it’s okay to express sympathy towards individuals affected by genital herpes but this does not mean you should leave yourself wide open to being similarly affected. The best way to avoid being caught unawares, literally and figuratively, by the herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 – the virus strains that causes genital herpes – you should start paying attention to the symptoms of genital herpes. Not to make you paranoid but you never know when someone you trust is hiding something from you and that something is a sexually transmitted disease called herpes.

SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS
Always, the first symptoms experienced by those suffering from genital herpes are usually systemic. Symptoms of this nature are fever, malaise, fatigue and muscle pains and aches.

FEELING BEFORE SEEING
To see is to believe is what the known saying teaches us but when it comes to genital herpes symptoms, you feel before you see. The next set of genital herpes symptoms include feelings of tingling, burning, itching and increased sensitivity in areas soon to be severely affected by genital herpes.

VISIBLE SYMPTOMS
It’s your worst suspicions confirmed. In areas that the individual affected by genital herpes complain of increased sensitivity and feelings of burning, blisters and lesions start to form. Blisters usually form in groups but some are lucky enough to experience one lesion at a time. After a few days, these blisters become wet ulcers and extremely painful when in contact with anything.

This pain is also felt when having sexual intercourse, urinating and may affect lymph nodes as well. Areas where these blisters or lesions appear are usually within the vicinity of the genital area – male or female – and on the thighs or buttocks. Vaginal discharge may also occur at this stage.

There are, of course, numerous cases when people affected by HSV 2 genital herpes have asymptomatic infection – meaning, they have the disease but not the symptoms – so your best bet is to know your partner well and hope that honesty is always the best policy between the two of you.

Being affected by genital herpes is obviously no laughing matter. If you have doubts about being affected by this disease, the best decision you could make is consulting a physician. Everything you discuss with your physician will remain confidential so you don’t have to fear that everyone will know about your possible condition later on.