According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2008, one in five American adults and adolescents is infected with herpes. Herpes is more common in women than in men. The symptoms of herpes in men are also somewhat different.
Constitutional Symptoms
According to a 2005 article in "American Family Physician," approximately 80 percent of people with herpes report constitutional symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle or joint pain, lack of appetite and malaise, at the beginning of an outbreak. During the initial outbreak, these symptoms may be severe, and many people mistake them for influenza. Constitutional symptoms usually become progressively milder with recurrent outbreaks. They are the same among both men and women.
Skin Lesions
Herpes skin lesions usually begin as small red bumps that, according to the American Social Health Association, are often mistaken for jock itch, insect bites and yeast infections. They can also be mistaken for pimples and ingrown hairs. Later, these lesions develop into painful fluid-filled blisters or superficial erosions, crust and ultimately heal without scarring. Crusted lesions are usually very itchy. In men, lesions may be found on the shaft or head of the penis, scrotum, perianal area, thighs or buttocks.
Prostatitis and Urethritis
Occasionally, herpes may manifest in men as prostatitis or urethritis, according to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th edition." Symptoms of prostatitis include difficult or painful urination, frequent urination, groin or back pain, and erectile dysfunction. Symptoms of herpes urethritis include clear, mucousy penile discharge and painful urination. The diagnosis of herpes-related prostatitis or urethritis is confirmed through viral cultures.
Herpes Gladiatorum
"Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th edition" also notes that mucocutaneous herpes infections of the thorax, ears, face and hands have been described among male wrestlers and are dubbed "herpes gladiatorum." Transmission of these infections is believed to be the result of skin trauma sustained during wrestling. Herpes gladiatorum can occur in men or women, but women are less likely to present with a history of wrestling.
References
- American Family Physician; Genital Herpes: A Review; J.G. Beauman; Oct. 15, 2005
- American Social Health Association: Herpes Fast Facts
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th edition; A.S. Fauci, E. Braunwald, D.L. Kasper, S.L. Hauser, D.L. Longer, J.L. Jameson and J. Loscalzo; 2008
