Genital Herpes Treatment For Men

You Wont Always Get Symptoms

Signs of herpes in men arenât always readily apparent or detectable. In fact, many men with genital herpes may not even be aware theyâve contracted the virus. Although a male herpes rash is commonly associated with an outbreak, it is important to note that the virus remains contagious even when no visible signs of flare-up are showing. Due to the nature and structure of the neural pathways the virus travels upon, recurrences of herpes may not appear in the same area of the body as previous outbreaks.

Reactivation of the virus can be asymptomatic, so males should take caution when engaging in sexual activity if infected with the HSV-2 virus.

Testing For Genital Herpes

If you think you may have genital herpes you should make an appointment with your GP or local sexual health services.

If there are symptoms present such as blisters, sores and ulcers, your doctor or nurse may be able to make a diagnosis straight away.

If you have visible blisters, your doctor or nurse may take a swab for testing, to check if this is herpes and what type. This swab can also test for another STI which causes blisters called syphilis.

The genital herpes swab tests are very reliable, though if the ulcer is too dry then it may be less likely to find a positive result.

How Can I Prevent Genital Herpes

If you have genital herpes, don’t have sex when you have any sign of a herpes episode. Between episodes, the use of condoms and latex dams can help prevent the spread of the virus. But the virus can still be transmitted by exposed skin to skin contact. Your doctor may recommend that you take daily antiviral medication, which may reduce outbreaks and risk of infection in your sex partners.

If you don’t have genital herpes, use condoms and latex dams to protect yourself during sex. These products are not completely protective, but they do reduce your risk of infection.

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What Triggers Herpes Outbreaks

If youve had herpes for a while, you might have identified things that cause your herpes to crop up. Some of the most well-known triggers for herpes are things that stress your body, like lack of sleep or even a common cold. While your body is off dealing with some other stress, your immune system is essentially distracted, allowing your herpes to wake up. Thats why theyre called cold sores or fever blistersbecause they often appear when you have a cold or fever.

Other common triggers include:

• Hormonal changes
• Reduced immune function

And while herpes viruses might be best known for causing cold sores and genital herpes, theres a whole range of herpes viruses. Different ones are responsible for causing various diseases. These include chickenpox and shingles, eye infections, mono , and more. Classic cold sores and genital herpes are typically caused by herpes simplex virus 1 or herpes simplex virus 2 .

What If I Am Pregnant

It is important to tell your obstetrician that you or a partner have had genital herpes, so that they can monitor you for symptoms and manage your pregnancy safely. There is a risk you can pass the virus on to your baby if you have a vaginal delivery during a first attack of genital herpes. If this happens you may be recommended to have a caesarean delivery.

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Is Genital Herpes Infection Related To Hiv

Herpes and HIV are caused by different viruses. But patients infected with these viruses are more likely to transmit either disease to their sexual partners. Patients with herpes are more vulnerable to HIV infection. People newly diagnosed with herpes should be tested for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections.

Patients who are infected with both herpes and HIV also may have a higher concentration of HIV viruses in their body because of the interaction between the herpes virus and the HIV virus. When HIV damages a persons immune system, the person may be more likely to shed herpes simplex virus asymptomatically.

Can I Be Treated To Prevent Genital Herpes Transmission To My Partner

Yes. A large study showed that if one partner has herpes and the other partner is uninfected, treating the infected partner with suppressive therapy can prevent transmission of symptomatic herpes in over 90% of cases. This is an option for couples who are interested in having unprotected sex or who are planning to become pregnant.

If you are entering into a new relationship and are aware that you have herpes simplex infection, you owe it to your partner to notify them before having sex.

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Can Genital Herpes Be Prevented

Practising safe sex is the best way to help prevent genital herpes infection.

It is safest to:

• always use condoms and dental dams, even when there are no sores or blisters present
• avoid sex when there are sores or blisters present you are most infectious at this time
• avoid sex with someone who has any blisters, sores or other symptoms of genital herpes
• avoid oral sex when there is any sign of a cold sore

Genital Herpes Treatment In Pregnancy

You may be offered antiviral treatment:

• to treat outbreaks in pregnancy
• from 36 weeks to reduce the chance of an outbreak during birth
• from diagnosis until the birth if you first get herpes after 28 weeks of pregnancy

Many women with genital herpes have a vaginal delivery. You may be offered a caesarean, depending on your circumstances.

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How To Choose The Most Popular Topical Creams For Herpes Zoster

The three most crucial criteria to consider are price, quality, and popularity.Price is an obvious factor to consider, as you want to ensure it is acceptable for your needs.Quality should also be examined because buying a low-quality goods will not help you achieve your main aim of obtaining the best product.Finally, while not as obvious as price or quality, popularity can be just as significant as both when it comes to attracting new customers.

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What Happens If Herpes Is Left Untreated

Without treatment, sores and outbreaks usually heal on their own. Oral herpes is usually considered a mild infection, but complications may appear in people with weakened immune systems.

The risk of complications with genital herpes is also low, though these include inflammation, swelling, and pain.

Passing HSV-2 to a newborn can be dangerous, however. Doctors may recommend a cesarean delivery to pregnant people with genital herpes, according to the

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When Treatments For Genital Herpes Are Given

• Initial treatment. If you have symptoms such as sores when you’re first diagnosed with genital herpes, your doctor will usually give you a brief course of antiviral therapy to relieve them or prevent them from getting worse. Your doctor may keep you on the drugs longer if the sores don’t heal in that time.

After the first treatment, work with your doctor to come up with the best way to take antiviral therapies. There are two options:

• Intermittent treatment. Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug for you to keep on hand in case you have another flare-up this is called intermittent therapy. You can take the pills for two to five days as soon as you notice sores or when you feel an outbreak coming on. Sores will heal and disappear on their own, but taking the drugs can make the symptoms less severe and make them go away faster.
• Suppressive treatment. If you have outbreaks often, you may want to consider taking an antiviral drug every day. Doctors call this suppressive therapy. For someone who has more than six outbreaks a year, suppressive therapy can reduce the number of outbreaks by 70% to 80%. Many people who take the antiviral drugs daily have no outbreaks at all.

There is no set number of outbreaks per year that doctors use to decide when someone should start suppressive therapy. Rather, more important factors are how often the outbreaks happen and if they are severe enough to interfere with your life.

Continued

What Treatments Are Available For Genital Herpes

The treatment for genital herpes varies between an initial outbreak and a recurrent attack. If you are suffering from a primary infection of genital herpes then it is likely you will be prescribed an antiviral medication, for example, Aciclovir 400mg tablets.

Aciclovir works by preventing the herpes simplex virus from multiplying. Aciclovir, and other antivirals, are unable to completely eradicate the infection from the body. The dose of Aciclovir when treating genital herpes is typically one 400mg tablet, five times a day after your inital outbreak. You will need to take Aciclovir for at least five days or longer depending on whether new blisters are still forming when you start treatment. For subsequent outbreaks of genital herpes, you only need to take one Aciclovir 400mg tablet, three times a day for five days. Other antiviral medications used to treat genital herpes include Valaciclovir, which works in a similar way to Aciclovir.

Lidocaine 5% ointment is an anaesthetic ointment used to know the area of genital herpes to relieve the pain and irritation of blistering during the outbreak. It does not treat the infection itself, however, it helps to relieve the symptoms whilst the outbreak clears on its own.

Recurrent outbreaks may require a course of Aciclovir however, if your symptoms are mild, you may wish to use some self-help techniques to ease the symptoms. These can include:

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Treatment Of Primary Infection

Antiviral therapy is recommended for an initial genital herpes outbreak, especially if the patient has systemic symptoms or is immunocompromised.2 Oral acyclovir is effective in reducing symptoms1 . Intravenous administration may be required in immunocompromised patients and those with severe disseminated infection.1 Topical acyclovir reduces the duration of viral shedding and the length of time before all lesions become crusted, but this treatment is much less effective than oral or intravenous acyclovir.1

Effect of Acyclovir Treatment on Primary Genital Herpes

*Dosage = 200 mg five times daily for 10 days, given within six days of lesion onset.

Information from Mertz GJ, Critchlow CW, Benedetti J, Reichman RC, Dolin R, Connor J. Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of oral acyclovir in first-episode genital herpes simplex virus infection. JAMA 1984 252:114751.

Effect of Acyclovir Treatment on Primary Genital Herpes

*Dosage = 200 mg five times daily for 10 days, given within six days of lesion onset.

Information from Mertz GJ, Critchlow CW, Benedetti J, Reichman RC, Dolin R, Connor J. Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of oral acyclovir in first-episode genital herpes simplex virus infection. JAMA 1984 252:114751.

Famciclovir is not FDA-labeled for this indication.

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Treatment If The Blisters Come Back

Go to a GP or sexual health clinic if you have been diagnosed with genital herpes and need treatment for an outbreak.

Antiviral medicine may help shorten an outbreak by 1 or 2 days if you start taking it as soon as symptoms appear.

But outbreaks usually settle by themselves, so you may not need treatment.

Recurrent outbreaks are usually milder than the first episode of genital herpes.

Over time, outbreaks tend to happen less often and be less severe. Some people never have outbreaks.

Some people who have more than 6 outbreaks in a year may benefit from taking antiviral medicine for 6 to 12 months.

If you still have outbreaks of genital herpes during this time, you may be referred to a specialist.

Do Condoms Help Prevent The Spread Of Genital Herpes

Yes. To prevent transmission of herpes, we recommend that condoms be used 100% of the time. Many patients will shed the virus and be contagious when they dont have symptoms. Studies have shown that asymptomatic shedding occurs between 1% and 3% of the time in patients with HSV II genital infections. Many new herpes infections occur from partners who are shedding the virus asymptomatically, so condoms are highly recommended.

Condoms may not be an attractive option for monogamous couples or for couples who desire to become pregnant. Couples may opt to have serological tests to determine if either partner has an asymptomatic infection. In close monogamous relationships, the risks of transmission can be weighed against other relationship issues, such as intimacy and pregnancy.

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How To Prevent Herpes

Its advised to avoid sexual and oral contact with someone who is currently experiencing a herpes outbreak, but its also important to remember that herpes is transmittable even when it is dormant. The risk during latent periods is lower, but its not zero.

While barrier methods can reduce your risk of contracting or transmitting an STI, there is still a risk that you could get herpes during sexual contact if youre with someone who has it.

If you develop herpes, there are certain precautions you can take to reduce transmission to others. These include:

• using barriers, like condoms and dental dams, during sex
• avoiding sexual contact or kissing while youre having a herpes outbreak
• taking medications, such as those listed above these may be associated with lower risk of herpes transmission, though its best to speak with your doctor

If you do develop herpes, inform your sexual partner.

Its important to tell your doctor if youre pregnant and develop herpes, as the virus can spread to the infant during vaginal delivery. Herpes can be dangerous for newborns. Inform your doctor as soon as possible so that they can help you plan and take precautions to help prevent transmission to your baby.

If You Have Genital Herpes Already Can It Be Spread To Other Parts Of The Body Such As The Arms Or Legs

No. Genital herpes cannot be transmitted to another part of your body such as your arm, leg or hand after the first infection occurs. If you have genital HSV II, you will not get HSV II at another site in your body. The immune system produces antibodies that protect other parts of your body from infection. However, there are cases where a person has multiple site infections from the same virus. This is usually acquired at the time of the first infection. For example, if someone has never had herpes but then has oral and genital sex with an infected partner, they can acquire the infection at both sites.

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Complementary And Alternative Medicine

Some people use natural therapies to treat herpes, either on their own or to support standard medical care. The research supporting their use is generally weak, with little evidence that they can reduce either the severity or duration of an outbreak. Even so, many people swear by their effectiveness and consider them a vital part of managing herpes outbreaks.

Complementary and alternative therapies sometimes used to treat herpes include:

• Propolis: This is a sticky substance produced by bees that may help speed the healing of genital herpes. A 2017 study found that people who used propolis ointment experienced better healing by the 10th day of treatment compared to those who used a sham ointment.
• Algae extract: Lab studies suggest that algae extract can inhibit the growth of HSV-2 in test tubes. Whether it can do so in humans has yet to be proven.
• Acupuncture: A 2022 review of research on the use of acupuncture to treat symptoms of herpes zoster concluded that acupuncture had a good effect on , quickly reduced patient pain, shortened the course of the treatment. While this suggests that acupuncture may be useful in easing genital herpes pain, this has yet to be proven.

How Common Is Genital Herpes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 40 million to 50 million adults in the United States have genital herpes. HSV II infection is more common in women and in people who have had more than five sexual partners. Most people with HSV II do not know they have it, because it does not always cause symptoms.

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