Genital Herpes

Genital Herpes is caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), which is from the same family of viruses that causes cold sores. Genital Herpes can show up anywhere in the “boxer short” area.

• How do you get it?
  Genital Herpes is spread through skin-to-skin contact with an infected area, typically during oral, anal or vaginal sex. In rare cases, herpes can be spread from mother to child during birth. Active cold sore infections can also be transmitted through kissing.
• How do you get tested?
  A person is usually tested by taking a swab of a sore.  This will come back negative or positive for herpes. 
• Does it go away?
  Nope!  Once a person has been infected with herpes, the virus lays latent in their body.  Infected people then can have outbreaks of sores.  There is medication that people can take to reduce outbreaks.
• How do I NOT get genital herpes?
  Choosing not to have sex is your only 100% way to prevent it, and using condoms does decrease your risk, but not completely.
• Where can you get tested?
  At your doctor's/healthcare professional's office, or at the sexual health clinics at the Northwestern Health Unit.