A virus causes genital herpes and most individuals with an infection don't have any symptoms or only experience minimal symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they appear as one or several blisters occurring on or around the genitals or rectum. The infection can stay in the body indefinitely and outbreaks typically decrease over a period of years.
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1
The herpes simplex virus type 1, also known as HSV-1, occurs most often on the mouth and appears as a fever blister or cold sore. Although HSV-1 causes infections on the mouth and lips, the virus can spread to the genital region during certain behaviors, says The Cleveland Clinic.
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2
The herpes simplex virus type 2, also known as HSV-2, causes most cases of genital herpes. Secretions that come from the genitals, such as vaginal fluids and semen, transmit HSV-2. Many people with HSV-2 infections never have visible sores, or they have very mild symptoms and often mistake them for insect bites or other skin conditions. Medline Plus points out that genital HSV-2 infections occur more often in women than in men, considering that one out of every four women becomes infected while only one out of every eight men becomes infected.
Sexual Contact
Engaging in sexual intercourse with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection causes genital herpes. Genital herpes spread by direct skin-to-skin contact from a partner with an active infection that includes the symptoms such as visible sores, blisters, or a rash but can also occur when a sexual partner has experienced an infection with herpes in the past but has no active herpes symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also called the CDC, recommends abstaining from sexual intercourse during an active herpes infection and practicing safe sex by using condoms. However, using a condom doesn't always prevent the spread of infection, because the location of some herpetic sores occurs in a place that a condom can't protect.
Oral-genital Contact
The herpes virus lives in an infected person's mouth or saliva and performing oral sex on a partner with HSV-1 results in a genital herpes infection. Abstain from any type of unsafe sexual activity with uninfected partners, especially during an active herpes infection.
