Young People's Guide to
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
and AIDS/HIV Disease

• Index of images
• Complete list of STDs
• Short STD guide in various languages
• Reproductive anatomy Diagrams

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Message to parents
• Anatomy of the sex organs
• Physiology of the sex organs
• STDs
  • General Questions
  • Gonorrhea
  • Herpes
  • Warts
  • Syphilis
  • Lice
  • Scabies
  • Yeast Infection
  • Hepatitis
  • Vaginitis
  • Molluscum
• How to check yourself for STDs
• AIDS
  • Testing
  • When a friend has AIDS
• How to prevent getting STDs and AIDS
• How to use a condom

HERPES

Summary

• Caused by a virus germ.
  
• Appears 3 to 10 days after sex with person who already has the disease.
  
• The herpes sores start as blisters, then they open up into little holes, and then they scab up.
  
• By 5 to 15 days they heal and disappear.
  
• The germs stay in your body and the sores may return in the future, sometimes often.
  
• Women may not know they have herpes because the sores may be inside the vagina.
  

Herpes Images

What is herpes?

Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by a virus (the herpes simplex virus or HSV). It is very common with over one million Americans infected each year. The herpes sores appear from three to twenty one days after contact with a herpes sore on a person who is infected by herpes. It is spread by direct contact with a herpes sore. Besides appearing on the sexual organs, it may also infect the mouth and lips. It is a bit more complicated disease than some other STDs because the disease looks like it disappears from your body but then it can reoccur in the future.

What does herpes look like?

The sores that the herpes virus cause go through several stages. They begin as a discolored and sometimes red area. Just before the sores begin to appear, the person may feel a tingling or discomfort in the area. The sores then swell up into fluid filled blisters. There are usually a few of them but they may be just one single sore. Usually within twenty four hours they break open and form holes or ulceration's in the skin. These holes are not usually very deep and sometimes have a clear or gray fluid in them. These ulcerations stay around for a few days and then they turn into scabs. These scabs stay for a few days and then they fall off and sometimes leave a light scar. The total time that the sores are present varies from five to fifteen days. The sores are not usually painful but they can be. Sometimes a person may feel pain when they urinate(pee) if the sores are near or in the urethra. (Remember that the urethra is the tube from where urine comes out of). A person may also have swollen lymph nodes in the groin area. These are enlarged, sometimes tender bumps in the crease where the legs join the body. The first time a person has a herpes outbreak, he or she may also have flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and headaches.

In men, the sores can often easily be noticed on the shaft or the head of the penis. In women the sores may not be as easy to see and they may all be inside the vagina and completely out of sight. Similarly, in people who receive anal intercourse, the sores may all be inside and out of sight.

What about herpes on the mouth?

Herpes that occurs on or in the mouth(oral herpes) is basically the same as the herpes that people get on their genitals. It is caused by a similar virus and the sores look the same. A microbiologist may be able to tell the difference between type I herpes which is more likely to affect the mouth and type II herpes which is more likely to affect the genitals but is usually not important to the average person as the two types look and behave alike. Some people will call oral herpes cold sores or fever blisters. You should remember that not all sores that occur on the lips or in the mouth are herpes. Canker sores are another common mouth disease that look a lot like herpes and there are other mouth diseases that can look similar. A health provider will help you identify them. Remember that oral herpes is not usually spread by sex even though it can be. Many people get oral herpes as a child by having a relative or friend kiss them.

Can herpes affect other parts of the body?

Yes. Although it is very uncommon, herpes can affect the eyes. This should be treated by an eye specialist. Herpes can also rarely affect the skin such as on the hands or buttocks. This is uncommon because the skin is very thick compared to the thinner skin that is over the genital and in the mouth and the herpes virus has a harder time getting through it to cause the infection.

What happens after the sores leave?

The virus stays in the body but it goes into a sleep phase where there are no symptoms present. It may stay like this for a long time ( months or years) before the symptoms reappear.

Are recurrences the same as the original outbreak?

Recurrent episodes of herpes are similar to the original outbreak but they are often less intense and they may not last for as long a time.

What triggers the virus to reappear?

We don't really know why the body makes the virus come back again but we are pretty sure that it is associated with certain factors. These include: stress, heat (such as a fever or hot sun), trauma (a heavy sex episode may trigger it), being run-down and having another illness such as a cold or other virus. If a person is fortunate, they may not ever have recurrences of herpes but if they are less lucky they may have ten outbreaks during the first year that they have herpes. This is uncommon and it is more likely to have three or four outbreaks during the first year and less often as time goes on.

What is so bad about herpes?

Herpes can reappear many times during a persons life and it is more of a nuisance than anything else. A person can transmit it to a sex partner if there is an active outbreak. Also, it is possible to transmit it to another if there is even the slightest outbreak which may not even be apparent to the infected person.

The other more important possible complication of a herpes infection is that an infected pregnant woman may transmit the herpes virus to her baby as the child is being born. A woman would have to have an active outbreak at the time of her delivery to pass it on to her child. It is possible for this herpes infection to cause brain damage to the child.

If a woman has a history of having herpes outbreaks, the doctor who is assisting with the delivery of the child will simply look at the women's sex organs. If she has any herpes sores, the doctor will do a cesarean section which is an operation that gets the baby out without its having to go through the vagina where it may be infected by the herpes virus.

How is herpes treated?

Fortunately there are very effective medicines for herpes. They can be used in two different ways. First of all, they can be taken every time a person has an outbreak or reoccurrence. Although it is not a cure, it can help control the outbreak by limiting the time of the outbreak. Instead of having an outbreak for two weeks, a person can limit the outbreak to a few days. It is also possible to take the medicine daily, like a vitamin. This way, a person may be able to totally suppress an outbreak.

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