Are you concerned about genital herpes?

Your doctor can help answer any questions you may have, and inform you about the ongoing support available. Bring the list of questions to ask your doctor featured on this site to your next appointment.

Genital Herpes: Fast Facts

What are the symptoms of genital herpes?

Most people with genital herpes are not even aware they have been infected because they have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.6 However, symptoms of a first outbreak may vary from person to person.5 Some of the symptoms you may develop include:4

  • Pain in the genital or anal area
  • Pain during urination
  • Flu-like symptoms (e.g., fever, aching joints and muscles)
  • A feeling of general ill health

You may then experience:

  • Symptoms which become progressively worse
  • Swollen lymph glands in the groin
  • Redness and sensitivity of the affected skin within the genital area
  • One or several small, painful, fluid-filled blisters that begin to appear on any of the following areas:

In women, symptoms may appear as follows:4

Externally on the genitals, inner and outer labia, around the anus or on the buttocks and thighs

Internally in the vagina and at the cervix

  • Blisters may be accompanied by a watery vaginal discharge.4
  • The blisters will break, leaving painful open sores4 which may last for 2 weeks or more.4
  • Scabs eventually form which fall off to leave normal, healed skin.4
  • Symptoms of herpes in the anal area may include pain, discharge and bleeding.4

In men, symptoms may appear as follows:4

Externally, on the penis, around the anus or on the thighs and buttocks

Internally, in the urethra

  • If sores are in or near the urethra, painful urination may occur.4
  • The blisters will break, leaving painful open sores4 which may last for 2 weeks or more.4
  • Scabs eventually form which fall off to leave normal, healed skin.4
  • Symptoms of herpes in the anal area may include pain, discharge and bleeding.4

Did you know?

Genital herpes often goes undiagnosed and untreated because symptoms are mistaken for other conditions, such as yeast infection, jock itch, razor burn or allergic reaction to detergents.6


References
Print

Viral Shedding - with or without symptoms - occurs anywhere within the banded area shown above
  1. Public Health Agency of Canada. Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections; Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Infections. 2008 Edition. Available at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/sti-its/guide-lignesdir-eng.php. Accessed Sept. 27, 2010.
  2. Gupta R and Wald A. Genital Herpes: antiviral therapy for symptom relief and prevention of transmission. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2006;7(6):665-675.
  3. Public Health Agency of Canada. Condoms, Sexually transmitted infections, Safer Sex and You. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/epiu-aepi/std-mts/condom-eng.php. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  4. Sacks SL. The Truth About Herpes. 4th ed. West Vancouver, BC: Gordon Soules Book Publishers Ltd.;1997.
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Fact Sheet - Genital Herpes. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes.htm. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  6. Health Canada. It's Your Health: Genital Herpes. Available at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/alt_formats/pacrb-dgapcr/pdf/iyh-vsv/diseases-maladies/herpes-eng.pdf. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  7. Whitley RJ, Kimberlin DW and Roizman B. Herpes Simplex Viruses. Clinical Infectious Diseases 1998;26:541-55.
  8. College of Family Physicians of Canada. Herpes - What it is and how to deal with it. Available at: Ask Your Family Doctor College of Family Physicians of Canada. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  9. Public Health Agency of Canada. Genital Herpes: The Epidemiology and Control of a Common Sexually Transmitted Disease. Can J Human Sexuality 1997;6. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cjhs/cjhs5-eng.php. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  10. Cusini M and Ghislanzoni M. The importance of diagnosing genital herpes. J Antimicro Chemo 2001;47(Topic T1):9-16.
  11. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada. Sexually Transmitted Infections: What are they? Genital Herpes. Available at: http://www.sexualityandu.ca/teens/sti-1-3.aspx. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  12. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: Genital Herpes. Available at: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/genitalHerpes/understanding/Pages/symptoms.aspx. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  13. Wald A, Zeh J, Selke S et al. Virologic Characteristics of Subclinical and Symptomatic Genital Herpes Infections. NEJM 1995;333(12):770-775.
  14. Wald A, Zeh J, Selke S et al. Genital Shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus among Men. Journal of Infectious Diseases 2002;186(Suppl 1):S34-S39.
  15. Lautenschlager S, Eichmann A. The heterogeneous clinical spectrum of genital herpes. Dermatology. 2001;202(3):211-9.