What Is Genital Herpes? Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). There's no cure for genital herpes, but medicines can help control the infection. What Are STDs? STDs (also called sexually transmitted infections or STIs) are infections that spread through sex (vaginal, oral, or anal) or close sexual contact. What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Genital Herpes? Most people with genital herpes don't have any symptoms. They may not even know they are infected. Some people with genital herpes can have "outbreaks" of sores in the genital and anal area. (Genitals are the sexual or reproductive organs that are on the outside of the body.) The sores heal within a few weeks. Outbreaks can be brought on by stress, illness, being overly tired, or being in sunlight. Women can have outbreaks when they get their periods. The first outbreak often is the most severe. Outbreaks usually become less severe over time. What Causes Genital Herpes? Two viruses cause genital herpes: herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) herpes simples virus type 2 (HSV-2) HSV-1 is the virus that causes cold sores around the mouth. It can cause genital herpes when it spreads through oral sex. But most of the time, genital herpes is caused by HSV-2. How Do People Get Genital Herpes? People can get infected with genital herpes when: They have vaginal or anal sex with someone with genital herpes (even if there are no sores). They receive oral sex from a partner who has oral herpes (cold sores). They touch a herpes sore and then touch their own genitals. Their genitals touch the skin in the genital area of someone who is infected (even if there are no sores). Genital herpes can spread even if there are no sores because the virus is still in the body. The virus sometimes "sheds" in the skin near the genitals. When the virus is shedding, it can infect another person. How Is Genital Herpes Diagnosed? To find out if someone has genital herpes, health care providers do tests on: fluid from a sore blood (if no sores are present) People with genital herpes need to tell recent, current, and future sex partners about their infection. Because someone may never have symptoms or may not have symptoms for months to years after infection, a current partner may not be the source of the infection. How Is Genital Herpes Treated? There is no cure for genital herpes. But health care providers can prescribe medicine to help: stop outbreaks or make them happen less often and be less severe if they do happen reduce the risk of spreading genital herpes to others Can Genital Herpes Be Prevented? The only way to prevent genital herpes and other STDs is to not have sex (oral, vaginal, or anal). If someone decides to have sex, using a latex condom every time can prevent most STDs. But condoms can't always prevent the spread of genital herpes. This is because the virus may be in the skin near the genitals (and not covered by a condom). Looking Ahead Genital herpes is a lifelong condition, but there are ways to manage it. If your teen has genital herpes, you can help him or her learn to live with the infection. Talk to your teen about: taking medicines to stop outbreaks or make them less frequent and less severe learning how to reduce the risk of spreading genital herpes by taking medicines, always using a condom during sex, and avoiding sex during outbreaks talking to partners before starting a sexual relationship Teens who continue to be sexually active should get tested for STDs every year or more often if recommended by their health care provider. Back to Articles Related Articles Can You Get Genital Herpes From a Cold Sore? Find out what the experts have to say. Read More Do You Have to See a Doctor to Find Out if You Have an STD? Find out what the experts have to say. Read More If Someone With Herpes Has No Sores, Can It Still Be Passed On? Find out what the experts have to say. Read More Talking to Your Partner About Condoms Some people - even those who are having sex - are embarrassed by the topic of condoms. Here are some tips for talking about condoms with your partner. Read More Talking to Your Partner About STDs You know you should talk about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) before the action starts. But what if the thought of having "the talk" makes you nervous? These tips can help. Read More Genital Herpes Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). There's no cure for genital herpes, but medicines can help control it. Read More About Birth Control: What Parents Need to Know Talking to your kids about sex can be a challenge. But discussing issues like birth control can help lower teens' risk of unintended pregnancy or getting an STD. Read More STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) You've probably heard lots of discouraging news about sexually transmitted diseases. The good news is that STDs can be prevented. Find out how to protect yourself. Read More STDs Parents should learn about the most common STDs, how they spread, and how they're diagnosed and treated. Read More Questions and Answers About Sex Answering kids' questions about sex is a responsibility many parents dread. But by answering these questions honestly, parents can help foster healthy feelings about sex. Read More Genital Warts (HPV) Genital warts usually are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which also can lead to cervical cancer and other types of cancer. A vaccine can prevent HPV infection. Read More About Birth Control Before you consider having sex, you need to know how to protect yourself. Read this article to get the basics on birth control. Read More Genital Warts (HPV) Genital warts usually are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which also can lead to cervical cancer and other types of cancer. The HPV vaccine can prevent HPV infection. Read More Telling Your Partner You Have an STD People who have STDs might feel apprehensive about discussing their disease with a partner. Here are some tips on talking to a partner when you have an STD. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.