Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection that can cause blisters and open sores (lesions) in the genital area, but it can also be asymptomatic, meaning that the person has no symptoms. Unfortunately, there is no cure for herpes, only options to limit or prevent outbreaks. However, a new vaccine on the horizon could change the rules of the game. People infected with the herpes virus are infected for life and have no choice but to manage outbreaks when they occur.
Daily use of antiviral medications can prevent or shorten outbreaks and reduce the chance of infecting it to others. It will still be a long time before these experiments lead to the first human trials of gene therapy to cure herpes. Jerome estimates that there are at least three years to go. When a person experiences a prodrome and suspects that a recurrence is going to occur, they start taking antiherpetic medications that reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of the outbreak.
Valacyclovir, also known as Valtrex, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat genital herpes. Research showed that patients with herpes were 65 percent less likely to have outbreaks after receiving the vaccine and 60 percent less likely to transmit the virus through the skin, even without injury. Many new herpes infections occur by couples who transmit the virus asymptomatically, so using condoms is highly recommended. People who have recently been diagnosed with herpes should be tested for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections.
With strategic care, you can prevent future herpes outbreaks and avoid the painful and uncomfortable process of treating lesions after they appear. Even more dramatic, the story argued that herpes was “altering sexual rites in the United States, changing courtship patterns, causing thousands of patients to fall into months of depression and self-exile, and dealing a numbing blow to the one-night stand”. Although lesions may be caused by something other than herpes, false-negative herpes tests can occur if the samples are not taken properly, if there is a long transport time between the clinic and the laboratory, or if the cultures were done at the end of the evolution of the lesions. In conclusion, there is currently no cure for HSV-1 or HSV-2, although people with both types of herpes can take antiviral medications such as Valtrex to control their symptoms and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to their partners. In the near future, people may be prevented from contracting herpes and people with this virus may not have to suffer any more outbreaks.
