Getting Through and Making Due Genital Herpes: Its Testing & Treatment
What is it with Americans and genital herpes? You may not know the full details, so sit down and relax before we get going. In the United States alone, one in five adolescents and/or adults are already positive for the virus that causes genital herpes. One in five! Genital herpes! Did you know that? We thunk not. Treatment for this malicious malady—although life-long—is easy, quick and affordable, but testing must be done first in order to ascertain your status. Don't think you're Superman, get to a certified STD clinic soon and see if genital herpes treatment is in your near future.
Genital herpes has been around forever, but since the 1970s the number of Americans testing positive for them has risen a whopping thirty percent! What's going on these days? Didn't we all live through the awful eighties—when HIV pounced on the scene—and didn't we all begin practicing safe sex? Apparently not as much as we were lead to believe if you believe these numbers. Believe them.
All righty then, let's get to the meat of the article, shall we? What exactly is it we are speaking of when we speak of genital herpes, and what type of treatment is available for the one-in-five of us unlucky enough to be tested positive? Well, herpes itself is a vast array of variant strains of a similar virus which includes cold sores and even chickenpox. However, it is generally HSV 1 and HSV 2 people mean when they speak of herpes.
HSV 1 is your traditional, everyday oral herpes, the common cold sore. HSV 2 is the sister strain to HSV 1 and is colloquially known as genital herpes. Sores and blisters break out below the belt and form scabs as they heal. Thankfully, treatment is available for both of these infections.
How does one know they have genital herpes? What are the symptoms we all should be looking for? They include the aforementioned series of painful blisters and sores that turn into painful scabs. Before these outward symptoms appear, you may feel some other changes approximately two or three days after catching the virus from your infected lover.
During this time you may feel get a fever fall tired easily and receive flu-like symptoms including headache and upset stomach. Remember that not everyone who is infected with genital herpes will show outward symptoms. It is known that some infected individuals are just carriers. These individuals remain symptom-less yet can go on infecting the people they sleep with one after another like raindrops falling on a spring morning. Only testing and treatment will stop the cycle of outbreak after outbreak.
Treatment will always be needed, but what is the mode of testing for genital herpes? Is it safe? Is it painful? The answer to both of these questions is whole-hearted yes! Although there are several different testing procedures, all are painless and none include fear of further infection. In the United States there the testing procedures for oral and genital herpes include: the herpes viral culture, the polymerase chain reaction test and the herpes antigen test. Only your STD doctor at a certified clinic can choose the best testing procedure for you and you alone. After testing, if bad news is what you receive, remember to leave it to the trained professional to recommend the best treatment medicine for you to help keep your oral or genital herpes infection from proceeding any further.
These days, there are a bunch of different genital herpes treatment methods. These include ointments and creams to be applied to already broken-out skin, and pills to take at the first sign of an outbreak. Many infected individuals say they know when an outbreak of blisters will arrive due to a "tingly" feeling on their genitals or lips. For many modes of treatment, it is suggested they begin at the first sign of this pre-breakout "tingle." It is proven that many outbreaks can be stopped with just a bit of diligence. Pay attention to your body and it will pay off.
Genital herpes has been around forever, but since the 1970s the number of Americans testing positive for them has risen a whopping thirty percent! What's going on these days? Didn't we all live through the awful eighties—when HIV pounced on the scene—and didn't we all begin practicing safe sex? Apparently not as much as we were lead to believe if you believe these numbers. Believe them.
All righty then, let's get to the meat of the article, shall we? What exactly is it we are speaking of when we speak of genital herpes, and what type of treatment is available for the one-in-five of us unlucky enough to be tested positive? Well, herpes itself is a vast array of variant strains of a similar virus which includes cold sores and even chickenpox. However, it is generally HSV 1 and HSV 2 people mean when they speak of herpes.
HSV 1 is your traditional, everyday oral herpes, the common cold sore. HSV 2 is the sister strain to HSV 1 and is colloquially known as genital herpes. Sores and blisters break out below the belt and form scabs as they heal. Thankfully, treatment is available for both of these infections.
How does one know they have genital herpes? What are the symptoms we all should be looking for? They include the aforementioned series of painful blisters and sores that turn into painful scabs. Before these outward symptoms appear, you may feel some other changes approximately two or three days after catching the virus from your infected lover.
During this time you may feel get a fever fall tired easily and receive flu-like symptoms including headache and upset stomach. Remember that not everyone who is infected with genital herpes will show outward symptoms. It is known that some infected individuals are just carriers. These individuals remain symptom-less yet can go on infecting the people they sleep with one after another like raindrops falling on a spring morning. Only testing and treatment will stop the cycle of outbreak after outbreak.
Treatment will always be needed, but what is the mode of testing for genital herpes? Is it safe? Is it painful? The answer to both of these questions is whole-hearted yes! Although there are several different testing procedures, all are painless and none include fear of further infection. In the United States there the testing procedures for oral and genital herpes include: the herpes viral culture, the polymerase chain reaction test and the herpes antigen test. Only your STD doctor at a certified clinic can choose the best testing procedure for you and you alone. After testing, if bad news is what you receive, remember to leave it to the trained professional to recommend the best treatment medicine for you to help keep your oral or genital herpes infection from proceeding any further.
These days, there are a bunch of different genital herpes treatment methods. These include ointments and creams to be applied to already broken-out skin, and pills to take at the first sign of an outbreak. Many infected individuals say they know when an outbreak of blisters will arrive due to a "tingly" feeling on their genitals or lips. For many modes of treatment, it is suggested they begin at the first sign of this pre-breakout "tingle." It is proven that many outbreaks can be stopped with just a bit of diligence. Pay attention to your body and it will pay off.