Symptoms of genital herpes

Primary infection

A primary infection of genital herpes can cause several different symptoms including:

• painful red blisters that burst to leave open sores around your genitals, rectum (back passage), thighs and buttocks
• blisters and ulcers on the cervix (lower part of the womb) in women
• vaginal discharge in women
• pain when you pass urine
• a high temperature (fever) of 38°C (100.4°F) or over
• a general feeling of being unwell, with aches and pains

These symptoms may last for up to 20 days. However, the sores will eventually scab and heal without leaving any scarring.

Recurrent infections

Once a primary infection of genital herpes has subsided your symptoms will disappear, but HSV will remain dormant (inactive) in a nearby nerve. The virus may be reactivated from time to time, travelling back down the nerve to your skin and causing recurrent infections.

If you have a recurrent infection of genital herpes, the symptoms and signs may include:

• a tingling, burning or itching sensation around your genitals, and sometimes down your leg, before your blisters appear (this can signal the onset of a recurrent infection)
• painful red blisters that soon burst to leave sores around your genitals, rectum (back passage), thighs and buttocks
• blisters and ulcers on the cervix (lower part of the womb) in women

Recurrent infections of genital herpes are usually shorter and less severe than primary infections. This is because your body has produced protective antibodies (proteins that fight infection) in reaction to the previous infection. Your body now recognises the virus and mounts a response that is able to fight HSV more effectively.

Your symptoms may last for up to 10 days and, in most cases, you will not have any of the other symptoms that are associated with a primary infection, such as a fever or generally feeling unwell. In some cases, the blisters and ulceration may also occur in the same area each time you have a recurrent infection.

Over time, you should find that any recurrent genital herpes infections become less frequent and less severe. genital herpes that is caused by type 1 herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) tends to recur less often than infections that are caused by type 2 herpes simplex virus (HSV-2).