Venereal disease Female Genital herpes - forever and ever

Once one gets infected with herpes virus, it retains all his life in the body. Particular caution should begin to form when skin blisters and soak them. Then the virus is easily passed.

Each year 20 million new infections
Herpes knows almost everyone. His brother, genital herpes, is less known - but widespread. Each year worldwide become infected over 20 million people newly infected with herpes genitalis. All were infected over 500 million people around the world, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared in the summer of 2008. In Germany, experts estimate, about 15 percent of the population carry the virus, which is more than 12 million people.

Most people become infected during sex
Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It comes in two variants: type 2 (HSV-2) mainly affects the penis, vagina, anus and buttocks, while type 1 (HSV-1) usually causes cold sores. But with poor hygiene, viruses of herpes sores on the mouth can be transmitted to the genital area. This done by smear infection, says the president of the Professional Association of Gynaecologists, Christian Albring?. For example, by unwashed hands, or oral intercourse "Usually transfers genital herpes, however, in vaginal sex.

Typical: small groups of painful blisters
It takes several days and even weeks to get genital herpes is noticeable. In some people the infection is so weak that they do not register and pass the virus unknowingly. Often an infection begins, however, so that the skin tingles and itches. Then form painful blisters filled with yellowish liquid, and are often the little groups. Finally, pop the bubbles up and become ulcers. In addition, the lymph nodes swell in the area and painful. If someone gets genital herpes for the first time, he has often fever and feels ill overall. To heal the ulcers, it may take 2-3 weeks.

Virus remains in the body for life
Even if no bubbles are to be seen, the thing is not over: Those who suffer from genital herpes is to live long virus carriers. After the healing of sores, the virus moves back into the nodes of the supplying nerves. From here you can always migrate to the skin and lead to more relapses. This is often caused by stress, fever, other diseases or during menstruation. In the first years after infection, the symptoms usually occur very frequently and strongly. By the time you answer it. Cure is not genital herpes. The skin sores can be treated well but with ointments and tablets. This prevents the virus from replicating itself.

Annoying but mostly harmless
Normally, genital herpes is not very dangerous. But in people with impaired immune defenses, the virus can affect the central nervous system. The same applies to babies because their immune systems are still developing. In pregnant women with acute genital herpes infection, therefore, most doctors do a c-section so that the child is not contagious at birth.

Beware if the sores wet
If the bubbles blossom and form ulcers, the risk of infection is particularly high. But even in symptom-free period, an infected passed the virus. Serve with small lesions of the skin or mucous membrane. Condoms can protect against infection. Hundred percent sure they are not, especially since they do not cover the whole genital area. Therefore advise physicians to dispense with a herpes outbreak on sex.