Sex may permeate our popular culture, but conversations about it are still associated with stigma and shame in Indian households. As a result, most individuals dealing with sexual health issues or trying to find information about sex often resort to unverified online sources or follow the unscientific advice of their friends.
To address the widespread misinformation about sex, News18.com is running this weekly sex column, titled ‘Let’s Talk Sex’, every Friday. We hope to initiate conversations about sex through this column and address sexual health issues with scientific insight and nuance.
The column is being written by Sexologist Prof (Dr) Saransh Jain. In today’s column, Dr Jain explains Herpes and ways to deal with the virus.
Herpes is mainly a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that causes sores on your genitals and/or mouth. Herpes can be annoying and painful, but it usually doesn’t lead to serious health problems. It is caused by two different but similar viruses: Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) and Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2). Both can make sores pop up on and around your vulva, vagina, cervix, anus, penis, scrotum, butt, inner thighs, lips, mouth, throat and rarely, your eyes too.
Herpes spreads through skin-to-skin contact with infected areas, often during vaginal sex, oral sex, anal sex and kissing. Herpes causes outbreaks of itchy, painful blisters or sores that come and go. Many people with herpes don’t notice the sores or mistake them for something else, so they might not know they’re infected. You can spread herpes even when you don’t have any sores or symptoms.
Are There Different Types of Herpes?
Because there are two different kinds of herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2), many people get confused about the different type of herpes.
• Genital Herpes: When you get either HSV-1 or HSV-2 on or around your genitals (vulva, vagina, cervix, anus, penis, scrotum, butt, inner thighs), it is called genital herpes.
• Oral Herpes: When you get either HSV-1 or HSV-2 in or around your lips, mouth and throat, it is called oral herpes. Oral herpes sores are sometimes called cold sores or fever blisters.
HSV-1 usually causes oral herpes, and HSV-2 genital herpes, but it’s totally possible for both types of herpes simplex to infect either area due to unprotected sex. For example, you can get HSV-1 on your genitals if someone with a cold sore on their lips gives you oral sex. And you can get HSV-2 in your mouth if you go down on someone with HSV-2.
How Does Herpes Simplex Virus Spread?
Herpes can be commonly spread through:
• Intercourse, including anal, vaginal-penile and vaginal-vaginal.
• Oral sex with someone who’s infected.
• Skin-to-skin contact without ejaculation.
• Touching open sores, including while breastfeeding.
• Childbirth by a mother or gestational parent who has an active infection.
You can spread herpes to other parts of your body if you touch a herpes sore and then touch your mouth, genitals, or eyes without washing your hands first. You can also pass herpes to someone else this way. Because the virus dies quickly outside the body, you can’t get herpes from hugging, holding hands, coughing, sneezing or sitting on toilet seats.
Neonatal Herpes
When an infant is exposed to HSV (HSV-1 or HSV-2) in the genital tract during delivery, they can develop neonatal herpes. Neonatal herpes is a rare infection that affects about 10 out of every 100,000 babies worldwide, but it’s a serious infection that can cause long-term neurologic disability or death.
Women who have genital herpes before becoming pregnant have a very low risk of passing the virus on to their children. The risk of neonatal herpes is greatest when a mother contracts HSV for the first time in late pregnancy, because the levels of HSV in the genital tract are highest at the early stages of infection.
What Treatments are Available for Herpes?
Currently, there’s no cure for herpes, but medication can ease your symptoms and lower your chances of giving the virus to other people. And the good news is, outbreaks usually become less frequent over time. People with herpes have relationships, have sex and live perfectly healthy lives. Treatment for HSV includes the following:
• Medication: Blisters typically improve on their own without medical treatment. But if you experience severe or frequent outbreaks, a doctor or clinician can prescribe antiviral medications. Antivirals can help reduce the number of episodes you experience and ease the severity of symptoms.
• Home remedies: Plenty of home remedies can help ease pain and discomfort associated with herpes blisters. You can also help ease the pain by:
o Taking a warm bath
o Keeping your genital area dry (moisture makes the sores last longer)
o Wearing soft or loose clothes
o Putting an ice pack on the sores
o Apply aloe vera on the sores
What Can I Do if I Have Herpes?
Many people who find out they have herpes feel depressed knowing they will always have the virus and can give it to others.
• Learn all you can about it. Information will help you manage your disease and feel better about yourself.
• Talk about your illness with your doctor.
Don’t worry if you have herpes, you can still:
• have sex while using condom (and/or have your partner use a condom), and tell your partner about your illness. Some couples, who have sexual relations only with each other, may choose not to use condoms even though one partner has herpes. Because each situation is different, you should ask your doctor if this is the right choice for you in your relationship.
• Have children. People with herpes can give birth to healthy babies. If you have herpes and plan to have children, discuss your illness with your healthcare provider.
Millions of people are living with the herpes virus and you shouldn’t be embarrassed. Treatment can ease symptoms, reduce outbreaks and protect sexual partners from infection. Having the virus shouldn’t affect your relationship or sexual health.
However, you do need to tell your sexual partners that you have the virus. Your doctor can discuss ways to prevent spreading it. If you have herpes, you should also get checked for HIV (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia.
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