The topic of sexual health is often wrapped in hushed conversations and misconceptions, yet it plays a crucial role in our overall well-being. Among the most common but least discussed conditions is genital herpes—a viral infection that affects millions of men and women worldwide.
Genital herpes, caused by the herpes simplex virus, is highly recurrent, especially during stress.
Despite its prevalence, myths and stigma surrounding herpes often overshadow the facts, leaving many confused or even unaware that they carry the virus. According to health experts, genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by the herpes simplex virus. There are two types – simplex virus virus type one and virus type two.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Pravin Banodkar, Dermatologist and Co-Founder of Skin Beyond Borders (SkinBB), revealed, “It’s caused by type two in majority of the cases. Both male and female are affected by it and it affects a large adult population between the ages of 18 to 50 years. It is also common to see this infection in more immuno-compromised individuals. They also sometimes have multiple other sexually transferred diseases like HIV and hepatitis B. It may also be having concomitant syphilis gonorrhoeal as secondary infections.”
Signs and symptoms of genital herpes:
Dr Pravin Banodkar shared, “The simplex virus presents with a lot of painful erosion ulcerative on the genital areas in males. It is commonly seen in the prepuce, glans penis and shaft of the penis or even the pubic area associated with lymph node involvement. The lesions are extremely painful and occur within 7 days to 10 days of exposure, which can be due to sexual transmission.”
The weakened immune system of pregnant women could put them at risk of contracting STIs, such as genital herpes, especially in the third trimester.(Shutterstock)
He added, “Similarly, in the females, you can get the infection within 4 days to 5 days with other added symptoms of painful burning, painful passing of urine, extreme pain and can also be associated with enlarged lymph notes. Herpes simplex virus is extremely contagious and is associated with blistering eruptions. People who tend to have oral sex can have genital transmission into the oral cavity areas.”
Treatment and management of genital herpes
According to Dr Pravin Banodkar, management includes starting anti-viral therapy which is acyclovir which is given in a dose of 200 mg, five times a day for 10 days. He highlighted, “Applications include an antibiotic application to reduce the pain. Pain medications like paracetamol can be started many times. Herpes simplex virus needs to be investigated for other sexually trans diseases as suggested as well as antibodies to HSV 1 and HSV2 IGM and IGG. Other investigations include urine test for microscopy and other concomitant STDs.”
The study found that in people who suffered from severe herpes infection and were treated aggressively with antiviral drugs, the relative risk of dementia was reduced by a factor of 10.(Shutterstock)
He concluded, “Once it occurs, it may be highly recurrent and can occur in times of stress like just before menstruation in females or at times of fever or lower immunity in males and females. Presently there is no cure for the sexually transmitted diseases like HSV however, it can be controlled with better healthcare, lifestyle modification, intake of antioxidants and following safe sex practices.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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