Does genital herpes shorten your lifespan?
Becoming infected with the herpes virus seriously complicates your social, emotional and sexual life, but it is not otherwise a terribly dangerous condition to have. Having genital herpes does make it easier to get HIV (and thus AIDS), but otherwise, the condition is not disabling, and does not reduce lifespan.
Does herpes mean my life is over?
It doesn’t mean you’ve had sex unwisely. It also doesn’t mean your sex life is over. Many people will have no problem seeing past your diagnosis to the person beyond: someone worthy of love and affection. Herpes isn’t as awful as some people make it out to be, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
What should you not do with genital herpes?
Use latex or polyurethane condoms, and avoid sex during symptomatic outbreaks. Do not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex when you have sores on or near the genitals, anus, or mouth. Do not kiss or have oral sex when you have a sore on the lips or inside the mouth. Do not share your towels, toothbrush, or lipstick.
How does genital herpes affect a person?
Herpes infection can cause sores or breaks in the skin or lining of the mouth, vagina, and rectum. This provides a way for HIV to enter the body. Even without visible sores, having genital herpes increases the number of CD4 cells (the cells that HIV targets for entry into the body) found in the lining of the genitals.
Does herpes make you smell?
It’s most common to have discharge when you’re having other symptoms like sores. This liquid also tends to happen along with a strong smell that many people with herpes describe as “fishy.” This smell usually gets stronger or more pungent after having sex.
What percent of population has herpes?
More than 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 – or 67\% of the population – are infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), according to WHO’s first global estimates of HSV-1 infection published today in the journal PLOS ONE.