24/12/2021
❓️WHAT IS GE***AL HERPES:
Ge***al herpes is a s*xually transmitted infection (STI) that results from the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Ge***al herpes is usually caused by the HSV-2 strain of herpes (although HSV-1 can cause it too).
Herpes can lay dormant, meaning an outbreak may not occur for years after transmission.
❓️HOW IT'S TRANSMITTED:
• Spread through unprotected oral, a**l, or ge***al s*x with someone who has an infection.
• Most commonly transmitted when someone has an active outbreak consisting of open, oozing sores.
Once the virus has made contact, it spreads in the body through mucous membranes (thin layers of tissue around openings in the body like your nose, mouth, and ge***als)
The virus then invades the cells in your body with its DNA/ RNA, allowing them to essentially become a part of your cell and replicate themselves whenever your cells do.
❓️SYMPTOMS:
Early symptoms tend to happen around 2 to 12 days after infection. There are two phases:
• Latent phase: Infection has occurred, but no symptoms.
• Prodrome (outbreak) phase: The symptoms occur and progress. The sores will typically heal within 3 to 7 days.
❓️WHAT TO EXPECT:
Ge***al herpes symptoms don’t look the same for every person. You may even notice differences in your sores from outbreak to outbreak.
Symptoms:
• May start mild, but become more severe as the outbreak worsens.
• Itchiness or tingling around your ge***als
• Tiny, firm red or white bumps that can be painful and itchy.
• Bumps can open up and ooze, leaving blisters that can be irritated by clothing or other materials that come into contact with your skin
Blisters can show up anywhere around the ge***als and the surrounding areas, including the:
• v***a
• va**nal opening
• cervix
• bottom
• upper thighs
• a**s
• urethra
❓️DIAGNOSIS:
The only way to diagnose if you have ge***al herpes is by:
• Physical examination
• Blood test
• Virus culture
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test
Lab samples are taken from a sore, blister, or blood. Your health care provider may ask to test you for other infections at the same time.
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*xeducator ***alherpes #101