Genital Herpes Manifestations

Like with oral herpes, either HSV1 or HSV2 can cause genital herpes. Primary genital herpes manifests as macules and papules, followed by vesicles, pustules, and ulcers. Lesions persist about 3 weeks, and viral shedding can occur throughout this time period. Systemic complications are relatively uncommon in males; however, aseptic meningitis can develop.

Paresthesias and dysesthesias that involve the lower extremities and perineum can result from genital herpetic infection. Primary infections are usually associated with fever, dysuria, localized inguinal adenopathy, and malaise in both men and women. Primary infections are more severe and more often associated with complications in women than in men.

Systemic complaints are common in both sexes, approaching 70% of patients. In women with primary infection, lesions appear on the vulva and are usually bilateral; the cervix is invariably involved. The actual frequency of primary cervical infection in the absence of vulvar infection is unknown. The lesions usually are excruciatingly painful, associated with inguinal adenopathy and dysuria, and may involve the vulva, perineum, buttocks, cervix, and vagina.

A urinary retention syndrome occurs in 10%-15% of female patients, and as many as 25% of women will develop aseptic meningitis. In males, primary genital HSV infections are most often associated with vesicular lesions superimposed on an erythematous base, usually appearing on the glans penis or the penile shaft.

Other complications following primary genital herpetic infection in either sex include sacral radioculomyelitis, neuralgias, and meningoencephalitis. Primary perianal HSV-2 infections and proctitis are more common in male homosexuals. Nonprimary initial genital infection is less severe symptomatically and heals more quickly. The duration of infection is usually 2 weeks.

The number of lesions, severity of pain, and likelihood of complications are significantly decreased. The presence of antibodies to HSV-1 renders disease due to HSV-2 less severe. With recurrent genital herpetic infection, a limited number of vesicles appear on the shaft of the penis in males or as simply vulvar irritation in females. The duration of disease parallels that of recurrent HSV labialis, i.e., about 8-10 days.

Neurological or systemic complications are uncommon with recurrent disease; however, paresthesias and dysesthesias occur. Virus is shed for an average of 2-5 days. Recurrent genital herpetic infection in both men and women is characterized by a prodrome and by localized irritation.

The frequency of recurrences varies among individuals. One-third of patients are estimated to have recurrences in excess of eight or nine per year, one-third will have two to three recurrences per year, and the remaining one-third will have between four and seven recurrences per year. Patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic recurrences can transmit infection to sexual partners.

The severity of primary infection appears to correlate with the frequency of recurrences; i.e., the more severe the primary infection, the more likely and frequent are the recurrences. Recent studies have suggested a high frequency of HSV DNA in genital secretions, as detected by PCR, between clinical recurrences.

Genital HSV infection can rarely become disseminated during pregnancy, involving multiple visceral sites and leading to necrotizing hepatitis with or without thrombocytopenia, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, and encephalitis. The associated mortality among pregnant women is reported to be over 50%. Fetal deaths have also occurred in over 50% of cases.

Primary or initial maternal genital HSV infection poses the major risk to the fetus. Thus, identification of women at risk for primary infection is of paramount importance. The rate of serological discordance, where the mother is HSV-2 seronegative and her partner is HSV-2 seropositive, averages 15%-20%.

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HSVCurative is used specifically to treat HSV1 and HSV2 infections and acts as a curative agent against both these strains of herpes. It exhibits a pronounced anti-herpetic activity against HSV1 and HSV2 and, unlike other cures for herpes, actually kills these viruses upon exposure regardless of location on the body.

HSVCurative contains certified organic medicinal plant extracts and antiviral essential oils which cause cellular death to HSV1 and HSV2 in scientific studies. The importance of applying certified organic material to outbreaks or open sores cannot be overstated. To learn more, please go to http://www.bcured.net.