About Genital Herpes
The herpes virus in your    body
What are the signs and    symptoms?
Outbreaks
Who gets genital herpes?
Am I at risk?

Are you concerned you may have genital herpes?
The only way to know for sure is to see a doctor.
To help you overcome any hesitation or embarrassment, here’s what to expect when you visit the doctor – and some questions to ask the doctor so that you get the answers and advice you need.

Genital Herpes: The Facts

Am I at risk?

Anyone who is sexually active is at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection, including genital herpes.11 There is a risk of being infected with genital herpes even if your sexual partner has no signs or symptoms.

70% of genital herpes transmissions occur when there are no signs or symptoms.8

Even the use of condoms may not always provide adequate protection during times of symptomatic or asymptomatic viral shedding.3

There are other factors that may increase the risk of genital herpes, such as:3

  • Gender – Females are at higher risk of contracting genital herpes from a male partner than males are from a female partner.3,8,11
  • High number of sexual partners – The more sexual partners a person has, the greater their risk of contracting genital herpes.1,13
  • Frequency of sexual activity – More frequent sexual activity with an infected partner increases a person’s risk.11,14
  • A recently-infected partner – People recently infected with genital herpes may be more likely to transmit it to their partner because viral shedding happens frequently in newly-acquired genital herpes and tends to decrease over time.9
  • Sexual preference – Men who have sex with men are at higher risk of contracting genital herpes than heterosexual men and women. Women who have sex with women have the lowest risk.4,5
  • Lack of safer sex practices – The proper use of condoms reduces the risk of transmitting genital herpes by 50%, but their effectiveness is limited – due to non-use and because they do not cover all areas where the virus may be active.3,9,10
  • Sexual behaviour – People with increasing years of sexual activity and number of lifetime partners, as well as those having receptive anal and/or vaginal contact are at higher risk of contracting genital herpes.15 Special risks apply to people with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection.3,12

Learning about, and living with, genital herpes starts with knowing how to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus and how to recognize signs and symptoms. Genital herpes symptoms may be similar to those caused by other conditions. Only a doctor can accurately diagnose whether or not you have genital herpes. If you suspect that you may have genital herpes, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Go prepared and know what to expect when you visit the doctor. Make a list of questions to ask the doctor and don’t hesitate or be embarrassed to ask them. Remember, a doctor is your best resource for accurate information and advice. Because the potential for living well with genital herpes starts with knowledge.

References

 

1. Whitley RJ, Kimberlin DW and Roizman B. Herpes Simplex Viruses. Clinical Infectious Diseases 1998;26:541-55.

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. Aoki FY. Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections 2006 Edition, Health Canada.

4. Sacks SL. The Truth About Herpes. 4th ed. West Vancouver, BC: Gordon Soules Book Publishers Ltd.;1997.

5. Ebel C, Wald A. Managing Herpes: How to Live and Love With a Chronic STD. Research Triangle Park, NC: American Social Health Association;2002.

6. Ribes JA, Steele AD, Seabolt JP et al. Six-Year Study of the Incidence of Herpes in Genital and Nongenital Cultures in a Central Kentucky Medical Center Patient Population. J Clin Micro 2001;39(9):3321-3325.

7. Patrick DM, Dawar M, Cook DA et al. Antenatal seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in Canadian women. Sex Transm Dis 2001;28(7):424-428.

8. Mertz GJ, Benedetti J, Ashley R et al. Risk Factors for the Sexual Transmission of Genital Herpes. Annals of Internal Medicine 1992;116:197-202.

9. Wald A, Zeh J, Selke S et al. Virologic Characteristics of Subclinical and Symptomatic Genital Herpes Infections. NEJM 1995;333(12):770-775.

10. 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.

11. Corey L, Wald A, Patel R et al. Once-Daily Valacyclovir to Reduce the Risk of Transmission of Genital Herpes. NEJM 2004;350(1):11-20.

12. Cuisini M and Ghislanzoni M. The importance of diagnosing genital herpes. J Antimicro Chemo 2001;47(Topic T1):9-16.

13. Steben M, Sacks SL. Genital herpes: The epidemiology and control of a common sexually transmitted disease. Can J Hum Sex 1997;6(2):127-134.

14. Wald A, Langenberg AGM, Link K et al. Effect of condoms on reducing the transmission of herpes simplex virus type 2 from men to women. JAMA 2001;285(24):3100-3106.  
 
15. van der Laar MJ, Termorshuizen F, Slomka MJ et al. Prevalence and correlates of herpes simplex virus type 2 infection: Evaluation of behavioural risk factors. Int J Epidemiol 1998;27(1):127-134.
 
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