How do you catch herpes?
Herpes is caught by direct contact with another person’s lesion or sometimes in the early stages of an attack before the lesion has broken out. The viruses penetrate moist membranes such as those of the mouth, genitals, rectum or eye, through a break that may be too small to be noticed.
Because kissing and sexual intercourse are the most common close encounters we have with others (and also likely to cause small breaks in membranes or skin), the mouth and genitals are the most common sites of infection by these viruses. Infection can also be transferred if a hand that is contaminated from an infectious part immediately touches broken skin or a moist membrane. This is probably how the viruses spread when oral herpes sweeps through a class of small school children, or when the eye becomes infected.
A baby may be infected during birth if the mother has genital herpes at the time or if there is contact with the virus (by kissing or from contaminated hands) in the early months of life.
Infected people occasionally have recurrences without any symptoms. We also know that three-quarters of people with genital herpes have never been diagnosed. These people commonly don’t recognize their (usually minor) symptoms. This explains how a first infection can occur when neither partner knows they are infected and neither has been unfaithful.
The first attack
After initial infection it usually takes between two days and two weeks (sometimes months or even years) for symptoms to appear. Once the herpes virus enters a cell, it takes over the cell and makes it manufacture more viruses, which are released to infect nearby cells. As the infection builds up, tingling or soreness might be noticed at the site of infection. As more infected cells are destroyed by the virus, small blisters form on top of a red, painful swelling. This is called the primary lesion. At this stage you may feel unwell with a mild fever, headache and aching muscles. Glands in the groin will usually be tender, and it may hurt or be difficult to pass urine.
After a couple of days the blisters will break and often merge to form one or more ulcers. Over one to three weeks the body’s defences begin to overcome the multiplying and spread of the virus at the primary site of infection. When this happens, the ulcer dries and forms a scab. When the scab drops off, the skin under it has healed.
The first attack of genital herpes can occasionally be very severe. The ulcer can spread to become quite large and cause a lot of pain of the vulva or anal area. It can hurt to sit down – you may prefer to stand. If the tissues around the opening of the urethra become swollen, it can be difficult or almost impossible to empty your bladder. The groin glands may hurt when you walk.
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