Genital Herpes

Genital Herpes

The way someone gets herpes simplex isn't too complex: Come in direct, skin-to-skin contact with an open sore on someone who has the virus and it's possible you'll get infected.

Herpes simplex type 1, usually transmitted through kissing, results in cold sores on the mouth or hands. Herpes simplex type 2--genital herpes--requires more intimate contact such as intercourse.

An estimated 500,000 people a year get genital herpes from having sex with someone who carries it. You may not even know you carry herpes--three of every four people with herpes don' t realize they have it. And once you get it, it will stay with you forever in a quiet, or latent, state punctuated by occasional outbreaks. The initial outbreak tends to be the most severe. During an outbreak, burning sores cover the genitals--an uncomfortable sensation that does not exactly put you in the mood for love. (That may be best, since you can infect others with the virus when the sores appear.)

Your doctor will prescribe the drug acyclovir, the only "proven" way to control herpes outbreaks. All first-episode patients should be treated with acyclovir. If your sores are especially tender or uncomfortable, however, you may try the following relief measures.

Take aspirin. "One thing you can do, once you get a herpes outbreak, is take aspirin," says Lawrence R. Stanberry, M.D., Ph.D., a herpes researcher and professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Disease at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. "Aspirin works because it's both a pain reliever and an anti-inflammatory. And often you feel pain from genital herpes because the nerve endings in your genitals are infected or inflamed."

Steer clear of ointments. You may be inclined to bombard herpes sores with everything in your medicine cabinet. But mild soap and water is sufficient to keep the area clean, says Dr. Stanberry.

In fact, petroleum jelly and antibiotic ointments can block the air needed for the healing process, cautions Stephen L. Sacks, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and the founder and director of the university's Herpes Clinic. Never use a cortisone cream, which can inhibit your immune system and actually encourage the virus to grow.

Put on "drying" lotion. "You don't want to put on anything gooey. But men might find that drying agents like calamine lotion or zinc oxide may speed healing by drying out the lesions," says Dr. Stanberry. He doesn't advise that women try this for vaginal herpes, however, since drying agents should not be used near mucous membranes.

Use a hair dryer. Towel-drying after bathing may prove painful when the terry cloth comes in contact with those tender sores. For a painless way to keep lesions dry, blow-dry the genital area with a hair dryer set on the low or cool setting, says Dr. Sacks. In fact, the air may prove soothing and may help dry out lesions more effectively and with less irritation than traditional towel-drying.

Don't touch! Although the disease is called genital herpes, it is possible to pass the virus to other parts of the body by touching an open sore and then bringing your fingers into contact with your mouth, eyes or any break in the skin. For this reason, it is important not to touch your sores, especially during the first episode, says Charlie Ebel, director of publications at the American Social Health Association, with headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. If you think you might scratch at night, cover your sores with a protective material that "breathes," such as gauze.

Abstain from sex when you have sores. Besides spreading the disease to others, having sex during a herpes outbreak can actually make your outbreak worse. "You can spread more lesions on yourself," says Dr. Stanberry. "During outbreaks, partners should adopt methods of being close that do not include genital sex."

Make stress management a habit. "The best way to avoid outbreaks of herpes lesions is to keep yourself in the best physical and mental health possible," Dr. Stanberry adds. Doctors agree that herpes often hits when your resistance is low or when you're overly stressed. So eating right, exercising regularly and managing the stress in your life are the first lines of defense.

Stay comfy with cotton undies. Another way to "air out" is to wear loose-fitting underwear made from cotton, advises Judith M. Hurst, R.N., a staff nurse at the Toledo Hospital and volunteer medical adviser to Toledo HELP, a herpes support group. Avoid wearing synthetic fabrics, because they don't allow skin to "breathe" as easily, she says. She prefers white cotton, because it has no dyes to cause irritation.