Though condoms can reduce the risk for genital herpes, they do not eliminate the risk – that’s because condoms don’t always cover all of the infected area. If you now have genital herpes, please contact your regular medical care provider for an appointment. He or she may want to perform a test to confirm the diagnosis and may provide you with a prescription.
Though there is no cure for genital herpes, antiviral medication can be taken to shorten the length and severity of an outbreak. It can also be used as a daily suppressive to help prevent outbreaks from occurring and to decrease the likelihood of transmission. Suppressive therapy is recommended for anyone who has frequent outbreaks, is bothered by their outbreaks, or who has an uninfected partner.
During the first year of infection, you can expect approximately four to six outbreaks. Usually, a person will have the most outbreaks during the first year. The number of outbreaks tends to decrease with time. Hence, the longer you are infected, the fewer outbreaks you will have.
To relieve symptoms during an outbreak, wear loose clothing and cotton underwear, use drying agents such as corn starch on lesions to absorb moisture and speed healing, and apply ice or anesthetic sprays to ease pain.
15. March 2012
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