Conditions
Genital Herpes
Genital herpes is an infection of the genitals caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) and is the most common ulcerative sexually transmitted disease in the UK. There are two subtypes of the herpes simplex virus: HSV-1 (which causes facial herpes, including cold sores on the lips, but has increasingly been implicated in cases of genital herpes), and HSV-2 (which almost exclusively causes herpes on the genitals). Around 80% of people with genital herpes don’t even know they have it, as there are often no symptoms. However, even without symptoms, it’s possible to pass genital herpes on to a sexual partner because the virus may sometimes be present in your genital area. And once you get the herpes virus, it’s with you for life, which means you will have recurrent infections. Over-the-counter treatments for cold sores will not treat genital herpes, so smearing your genitals with Zovirax is an ineffective alternative to visiting your local GP or GUM clinic.
Comments and Questions
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
Do you have to legally inform your sexual partner that you suffer from HSV1 (herpes) when you mostly get coldsores on your mouth rather than anywhere else?
Each time my boyfriend performs oral sex on me then proceeds to kiss me..within two days i have a horrendous cold sore appear on my chin and its massive..it becomes very infected and it lasts two weeks..this has happened twice...my boyfriend has no cold sore prior to this? also i performed oral sex on my boyfriend..a couple hrs after having intercourse..i again got the horrendous cold sore? is this something to do with gential herpes? am i allergic to my own sexual juices???...we no longer have oral sex for fear of me getting this outbreak..i am at a loss!!..help.
I have just been diagnosed with genital herpes and have been given tablets by the doctor, will the symptoms go straight away or will it take a while. In quite a lot of pain but the sores aren't bad.
Can herpes be passed on by sharing towels and other objects like cups, glasses?
Umm the top of my banjo string has a whiteish bit on it and it hurts quite a bit , do i have an Sti?
I've noticed small white lumps on the lower part of my vagina, I've had a little look into what it could be, herpes seems to be the most common, I'm going to get this checked out tomorrow. Ive had sex with two different people within the last 8 months, both of which were protected sex. I'm now worried I've convinced myself it's an STD :(
I got a penile rash first appeared september 2010 then december 2010 and finally april 2011 (it lasted 4 months) not visable vesicals or ulcers, no malaise of systemic symptoms such as fever and no lymphadanopathy, but got dysuria and painfull burning sensation on skin also got two spots on the shaft of my penis. appeared but i went to my gp and gum clinic i was convinced i had herpes. they gave me a HSV (NATT) swab and HSV 1/2 type specific serology which they said came back negative and treated me with aquase cream and daktacort (1% hydrocortisone and nitramidazol) it has not reapeared for the last year but i am still worried about herpes they said it was a type of dermatitis.
I had flu symptoms and it was extremely painful to urinate so i went to the doctors and was told it was genital herpes. Is there anyway of telling if you caught it was your last sexual partner or a previous one before? Also, can I catch oral herpes as well from giving oral sex with someone who has the virus? If I already have genital herpes. Im so confused, I dont know much about it, devestated to have it and i've taken antibiotics but the ulcers dont seem to go even though I am no longer sexually active. I feel like I can never have sex or oral sex again!
i have only had sex with my current boyfriend and both of us were virgins so we had no diseases, but i have white kind of lumps on the inside of my vagina lips, i have had them their for ages though but ive only recently thought about it. i get coldsores and stuff so i dont know if it can pass through like that? im really confused to what it is, it doesn't hurt or itch or anything but its just everywhere when i pull the skin.
I've had small lumps around my vagina lips since i was about 12 and im now 18. I haven't had any sexual activity until a year ago. I've been worrying for quite a while that it could be genital herpes and it's even harder to bring it up in a conversation with my boyfriend. Help. :|
Important Notice
The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.
If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here
The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.