Pictures of Herpes

Millions of people suffer from genital herpes, which is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by two types of herpes viruses. These includes type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 or (HSV-2). Most commonly, it is HSV-2 that causes genital herpes in patients.
Genital herpes can be easily transmitted from person-to-person during any kind of sexual contact. The reason why genital herpes affects so many people is because many are unaware that they have the disease when being sexually intimate with their partner.
During outbreaks, sores in the skin are caused by the herpes virus and can be easily seen. Between outbreaks however, the sores are not visible and the virus can be transferred to another person. HSV-2 is transmitted through sexual contact and involves sores on the genital or rectal area, while HSV-1 is more commonly caused by sores on the mouth and lips.
Once diagnosed with genital herpes, the virus stays in the body indefinitely with a number of outbreaks over time. Generally, the first outbreak is the most severe and the ones afterward are more mild. After contracting the virus, the sores will show up about two weeks after and last for a duration of two to four weeks.
The most common symptoms of genital herpes include painful sores that are on the genital or rectal areas, swollen glands and flu-like symptoms. More commonly however, people with the herpes virus are unaware that they have the virus and instead mistake the sores for a rash or skin irritation.
Genital herpes can be diagnosed in two ways. The first thing you can do is to check the internet for pictures of herpes, If the sores are visible, the doctor will take a small sample of the sores and have them tested in the laboratory. If the virus is in between outbreaks, a blood test can be administered and will look for antibodies that are present in the genital herpes infection. While a blood test is a simple way to look for the herpes virus, it is not always accurate, therefore it’s best to see a medical professional during an outbreak.
While there are no medications that cure the herpes virus, there are different forms of medicine that can help reduce the severity and duration of the outbreaks. Medication can also be taken on a regular basis to make herpes less transferable to another partner.