Genital herpes is one of the few sexually transmitted infections with no known cure. Herpes can be passed from one sexual partner to another even when the infected partner has no symptoms. Barrier methods such as condoms do not cover all possible areas of infection and cannot completely prevent transmission. Some daily treatments have been shown to reduce the occurrence of symptoms and the number of transmissions between sexual partners.
Treatment Approaches
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives recommendations on both episodic and suppressive therapy for recurrent genital herpes. Daily treatment is considered suppressive therapy; treatment that is only taken around the time that symptoms are being felt is called episodic therapy.
Types
All of the medicines used for daily treatment or herpes are antiviral medications. There are three different antiviral medications approved for suppressive treatment in the United States: acyclovir, also called Zovirax; famciclovir, also called Famvir; and valacyclovir, also called Valtrex. All three are available only by prescription.
Doses
All daily antiviral treatment is taken orally. The CDC outlines four different options for persons not infected with HIV. The CDC recommends taking 400 mg of acyclovir two times a day, 250 mg of famciclovir two times a day, 500 mg valacyclovir once a day, or 1 g valacyclovir once a day. For those who are infected with HIV, the CDC recommends taking 400 to 800 mg of acyclovir two to three times a day, 500 mg of famciclovir two times a day, or 500 mg valacyclovir twice a day.
Side Effects
Lisa Marr, M.D., author of "Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Physician Tells You What You Need to Know" notes that antiviral medications have scarcely any side effects when consumed by patients in good health. Marr writes that the few side effects of antiviral medications include nausea, dizziness, and headache.
Benefits
The symptoms of herpes come and go; the times when symptoms are present are called outbreaks. According to "The Good News About the Bad News Herpes: Everything You Need to Know" by Terri Warren, R.N., N.P., herpes symptoms may include pain while urinating, itchy sores, and painful blisters on the genital area. The pain typically lasts four days for men and six days for women. Warren says that daily antiviral treatment lessens the number of outbreaks considerably, that Valtrex has been shown to decrease the number of partner-to-partner transmissions, and that studies have indicated the two other antivirals likely decrease such transmissions as well.
References
- "The Good News about the Bad News Herpes: Everything You Need to Know"; Terri Warren, RN, MP; 2009
- "Genital Herpes: The Facts"; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2008
- "Contagious Diseases Sourcebook"; Joyce Brennfleck Shannon, editor; 2010
- "Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Summary of 2006 CDC Treatment Guidelines"; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2006
- "Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Physician Tells You What You Need to Know"; Lisa Marr, MD; 2007
