Sage-Tips

What happens to you if you have herpes?

After the initial infection, the virus lies dormant in your body and can reactivate several times a year. Genital herpes can cause pain, itching and sores in your genital area. But you may have no signs or symptoms of genital herpes. If infected, you can be contagious even if you have no visible sores.

What happens if you go untreated with herpes?

What happens if herpes is not treated? Herpes can be painful, but it generally does not cause serious health problems like other STDs can. Without treatment, you might continue to have regular outbreaks, or they could only happen rarely. Some people naturally stop getting outbreaks after a while.

How does herpes make the body feel?

During the first outbreak (called primary herpes), you may experience flu-like symptoms. These include body aches, fever, and headache. Many people who have a herpes infection will have outbreaks of sores and symptoms from time to time. Symptoms are usually less severe than the primary outbreak.

Can herpes cause anything else?

It may clear on its own. Like oral herpes, encephalitis is also a possible complication of genital herpes, but it’s even more rare. Keep in mind that having genital herpes increases the risk of other STIs. Blisters can cause breaks in the skin, making it easier for certain microbes to enter the body.

Does herpes shorten your life?

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.

How can you tell a girl has herpes?

The first signs may include:

1. Itching, tingling, or burning feeling in the vaginal or anal area.
2. Flu-like symptoms, including fever.
3. Swollen glands.
4. Pain in the legs, buttocks, or vaginal area.
5. A change in vaginal discharge.
6. Headache.
7. Painful or difficult urination.
8. A feeling of pressure in the area below the stomach.

Is hsv1 an STD?

Although HSV-1 isn’t technically an STD, you can potentially catch the virus through sex. If you receive oral sex from a person with HSV-1, there’s a risk that the virus could make its way into your body through their saliva.