Your Questions Answered


If you're worried you may have genital herpes, or have already been diagnosed...

your doctor is there to answer any questions you may have. As a start, this section provides the answers to a number of frequently asked questions.

Your Questions Answered

Questions to ask your doctor

The following questions can help you initiate a discussion with your doctor. Print out the list and bring it with you to your next appointment. You may also want to add some of your own. Remember, your questions may change over time - for example, the questions you have when you are first diagnosed may differ from those you may have a few months later. That's why it's always a good idea to review your questions before every follow-up visit.

If you think you may have genital herpes, you may want to know:

  • What are the symptoms of genital herpes?
  • Do any other conditions cause similar symptoms?
  • How can I get tested?

If you've found out you have genital herpes, you may want to know:

  • What causes genital herpes?
  • How do I avoid giving genital herpes to someone else?
  • Will I get more outbreaks? How can I help lessen their impact?
  • What educational resources can you recommend?
  • Where can I get counseling on living with genital herpes?
  • Do you know of any support groups or hotlines I can call?

References
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  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Whitley RJ, Kimberlin DW and Roizman B. Herpes Simplex Viruses. Clinical Infectious Diseases 1998;26:541-55.
  7. Sacks SL. The Truth About Herpes. 4th ed. West Vancouver, BC: Gordon Soules Book Publishers Ltd.;1997.
  8. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Genital Herpes. Available at: http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp054.cfm. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.