What is Herpes and How is it Spread?
What is Herpes Virus?
Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the herpes simplex virus. There are two types of herpes simplex virus;
Herpes Simplex 1 (HSV1) and Herpes Simplex 2 (HSV2).
HSV1 or mouth herpes are commonly in the form of cold sores (fever blisters) on and around the mouth. HSV2 or genital herpes is a much more intense strand commonly found on the genitals. However BOTH types can be found on the mouth or genital areas. It is possible to be infected by both HSV 1 and 2. Being infected by one particular strand does not make you immune to another.
Sunlight is known to trigger cold sore outbreaks, along with stress and other factors.
How is Herpes Spread?
Herpes is most easily spread when a sore is present, but, it can be spread at other times too. Some people notice itching, tingling, sharp pain, hypersensitivity or other sensations before they see anything on their skin.
These are called “Prodromal Symptoms” and they warn that the virus may be present on the skin. Herpes is most likely to be spread from the time these first symptoms are noticed until the area is completely healed and the skin looks normal again. Contact with the infected area (including oral, vaginal, or anal sex) is extremely risky during this time.
One kind of complication involves spreading the virus from the location of an outbreak to other places on the body by touching the sores. The fingers, eyes, and other body areas can become infected in this way.
Preventing self-infection is simple. Do not touch the area during an outbreak! If you do, wash your hands as soon as possible with soap and warm water. This will help prevent the virus from spreading further.
The spreading of genital herpes through inanimate objects, such as soap, towels, clothing, bed sheets and toilet seats is highly unlikely because the genital herpes virus cannot live very long outside of the body. Herpes is not spread through vaginal fluids, blood or semen, or through the air. Herpes is generally spread by direct contact.
Herpes can be spread by the following situations:
- Kissing, touching and caressing infected areas
- Sexual contact with the infected area (vaginal, oral, or anal sex)
- Skin-to-skin contact with the infected area can transmit HSV-1 and HSV-2
- Kissing someone if you have a cold sore can transfer the virus
- The virus can be transmitted to your partner if you have active genital herpes and have vaginal or anal intercourse
- Oral sex should be avoided if one partner has a facial herpes attack.
- People who experience an episode of herpes should consider themselves infectious from the start of the episode up until the healing of the last ulcer
- Occasionally, one partner in a long-term relationship may develop symptoms of herpes for the first time. Often this is due to one or both of the partners being carriers of HSV and not knowing it
- From mother to baby during pregnancy or at birth
You can help to lessen the severity and frequency of outbreaks of herpes episodes with nonprescription Dynamiclear.
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