What is herpes?
Herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease, and is caused by infection with the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
There are 2 strains of the virus, HSV type 1 and HSV type 2.
Transmission of both strains occurs through contact with infected oral or genital secretions.
What are the symptoms of herpes?
An infection with herpes causes painful blisters and ulcers around the mouth or genitals.
A herpes episode often starts with some local tingling or soreness of the oral or genital skin.
Shortly after, blisters appear, and can burst open to become weepy painful ulcers.
These ulcers can last from a few days up to a few weeks.
The ulcerated skin then dries up and heals over.
The skin ulcers may also be accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, swollen glands, and body aches.
However, many people who have herpes actually have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
As such, many people who are infected with herpes are unaware that they carry this infection, and can pass it onto their partners unknowingly.
What happens after I’m infected with herpes?
After a primary infection, the herpes virus remains in the body for life.
Most people do not experience symptoms for the majority of the time, but can experience intermittent flares, or outbreaks, that are similar to the primary infection.
Repeat flares are common in the first year of infection, but become less frequent over time.
How is herpes diagnosed?
Herpes is diagnosed based on symptoms, and with confirmatory testing.
A swab of the oral or genital ulcers can be performed to look for HSV type 1 and 2.
Alternatively, in the absence of ulcers, a blood test for herpes.
How do I treat herpes?
Infection with herpes is lifelong, and there are no medications to completely cure herpes.
However, antiviral medications can be used whenever a flare or outbreak occurs, to reduce the severity and duration of the symptoms.
The medications can also be used to prevent frequent outbreaks, and to reduce transmission of herpes between partners.
If you are concerned about having herpes or would like to find out more about the condition, visit any of our Partner’s Women’s Health clinics, or contact their doctors via the link below.
Need a Female Doctor?
Having Women’s Health concerns? lease visit us or contact us at our GP Plus Clinics in Singapore. We are open on weekends too. For more information, please visit DTAP Clinic website, www.dtapclinic.com or email them at firstname.lastname@example.org
Other Women’s Sexual Health Articles:
- Vaginal Yeast Infection (Thrush)
- A Women Guide to Contraception
- STD Trichomoniasis and Green Fishy Smell Discharge
- STD Chlamydia Screening & Treatment
- STD Women’s Gonorrhoea Symptoms & Treatment
- STD Women’s Herpes Infection
- Urine Pain & Non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU)
- Bleeding After Sex
- Abnormal Vaginal Discharge
- Women’s STD Screening, Testing and Treatment Service
Uvimbe ni nini? Ugonjwa wa herpes ni ugonjwa unaosambazwa kwa njia ya ngono na husababishwa na virusi vya herpes simplex. Kuna aina mbili za virusi vya HPV: HSV aina ya 1 na HSV aina ya 2. Maambukizi ya aina zote mbili hutokea kwa kuwasiliana na mkojo au mkojo ulioambukizwa. Dalili za herpes ni zipi? Maambukizo ya herpes husababisha vidonda na vidonda vyenye uchungu kuzunguka mdomo au viungo vya uzazi. Mara nyingi herpes huanza kwa kupasuka au kuuma kwa ngozi ya mdomo au ya viungo vya uzazi. Muda mfupi baadaye, vidonda huonekana, na vinaweza kupasuka na kuwa vidonda vyenye uchungu. Majeraha hayo yanaweza kudumu kwa siku chache hadi majuma machache. Kisha ngozi iliyo na vidonda hiyo huuka na kupona. Majeraha ya ngozi yaweza pia kuambatana na dalili kama za mafua kama vile homa, maumivu ya koo, tezi zilizovimba, na maumivu ya mwili. Hata hivyo, watu wengi walio na herpes kwa kweli huwa na dalili nyepesi sana au hawana dalili zozote. Kwa hivyo, watu wengi walioambukizwa herpes hawajui kwamba wanaambukizwa na wanaweza kuipitisha kwa washirika wao bila kujua. Ni nini hutokea baada ya kuambukizwa herpes? Baada ya maambukizo ya kwanza, virusi vya herpes hubaki mwilini maisha yote. Watu wengi hawajapata dalili kwa muda mrefu, lakini wanaweza kupata milipuko ya mara kwa mara, au milipuko, ambayo ni sawa na maambukizo ya msingi. Mlipuko wa mara kwa mara ni wa kawaida katika mwaka wa kwanza wa maambukizo, lakini unakuwa wa mara chache zaidi baada ya muda. Ugonjwa wa herpes hugunduliwaje? Ugonjwa wa herpes hugunduliwa kwa kutegemea dalili, na kwa kupimwa ili kuthibitisha. Kwa mfano, unaweza kuchukua swab kutoka kwa ulcer ya mdomo au ya uzazi ili kuangalia virusi vya HSV vya aina ya 1 na 2. Vinginevyo, ikiwa hakuna vidonda, uchunguzi wa damu wa herpes. Ninawezaje kutibu herpes? Ugonjwa wa herpes huendelea maisha yote, na hakuna dawa zinazoweza kuponya herpes kabisa. Hata hivyo, dawa za kupambana na virusi zinaweza kutumiwa wakati wowote ambapo ugonjwa wa kuambukiza au mlipuko unatokea, ili kupunguza ukali na muda wa dalili. Dawa hizo zaweza pia kutumiwa kuzuia milipuko ya mara kwa mara, na kupunguza kuambukizwa kwa herpes kati ya wenzi wa ndoa. Ikiwa una wasiwasi kuhusu herpes au ungependa kujua zaidi juu ya hali hiyo, tembelea yoyote ya kliniki za Afya ya Wanawake za Washirika wetu, au wasiliana na madaktari wao kupitia kiungo hapa chini. Unahitaji Daktari wa Kike? Kuwa na wasiwasi wa afya ya wanawake? Tafadhali wasiliana nasi au wasiliana na sisi katika Kliniki zetu za GP Plus huko Singapore. Sisi ni wazi mwishoni mwa wiki pia. Kwa maelezo zaidi, tafadhali tembelea tovuti ya Kliniki ya DTAP, www.dtaplink.com au waandikie barua pepe kwa jina la kwanza. jina la mwisho@example.org Makala nyingine za Afya ya Jinsia ya Wanawake: - Maambukizo ya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea vya Vimelea.