Genital Herpes. What Is It?

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection that can cause blisters and skin ulcers in the genital and anal area. It can be caused by either of two types of herpes simplex virus, HSV-1 or HSV-2. HSV-2 is the more common cause. HSV-1 more commonly causes sores on the face and mouth.

HSV spreads from person to person through kissing and skin-to-skin contact, as well as through vaginal, oral or anal intercourse. An infected person often transmits the virus when skin blisters or ulcers are visible, but the virus also can be spread when there are no symptoms or skin sores at all. Herpes virus can be transmitted by people who don't know they are infected.

In a pregnant woman with HSV infection (usually HSV-2), the virus can pass to the baby during delivery, causing infections of the newborn's skin, mouth, lungs or eyes. If the herpes virus spreads through the baby's bloodstream, it can cause serious infections of the brain and other vital organs.
Many people with genital herpes infection have no symptoms. When symptoms appear, they can include:
Itching, burning, soreness and small blisters in the genital or anal area
Small ulcers (skin sores) when the blisters break
Local pain if urine touches the genital ulcers
Enlarged or painful lymph nodes (swollen glands) in the groin
Headache, fever, muscle aches and a generally sick feeling
Less common problems related to genial herpes include:
Urinary retention. Difficulty urinating when the virus affects the nerves to the bladder
Encephalitis. Herpes infection that has spread to the brain causing headache, fever, confusion and sometimes seizures.
Meningitis. Inflammation of the lining around the brain. It can be recurrent, a condition known as Mollaret's meningitis.
Proctitis. Inflammation of the rectum or anus that can involve pain, bleeding, fever and chills, usually related to unprotected anal sex.

The first episode of herpes symptoms usually has the worst symptoms. When symptoms develop, they can occur from a few days to a few weeks after contact with an infected person, but sometimes an infected person might not have any symptoms for years. Almost everyone with symptomatic genital herpes will have at least one recurrence. In people who have repeated herpes episodes, symptoms can be triggered by physical or emotional stress.

Newborns infected with herpes around the time of delivery usually develop symptoms 5 to 9 days after birth. Symptoms can include blisters on the skin, eyes and mouth. If the virus spreads through the baby's bloodstream to the brain, there can be sleepiness or irritability, and seizures. The virus can also spread to the baby's liver, lungs and other organs, causing disseminated (wide-spread) disease. Herpes in a newborn can be from either HSV-1 or HSV-2, but HSV-2 tends to cause more severe disease.