Genital Herpes Symptoms Singapore | STD
Genital Herpes Symptoms in Singapore: Genital herpes symptoms Singapore:
The signs of herpes appear about 2-10 days after sexual contact with an infected person.
These include:
- itching/burning-feeling in the genital area
- water blisters (vesicles) or open sores
- discharge of fluid from the vagina.
Herpes sores heal after 3-4 days but often recur. Treatment relieves pain and discomfort but cannot prevent recurrence. A woman with herpes may infect her newborn at childbirth causing blindness or mental retardation.
CLINICAL FEATURES
First episode genital herpes may either be primary or non-primary. Primary genital herpes is defined as infection occurring in persons with no prior exposure to either HSV type 1 or 2. Non-primary genital herpes is defines as first genital episode in persons who have evidence of prior HSV infection at another body site with either HSV type 1 or 2.
First episode genital herpes is often severe, presenting with multiple grouped vesicles, which rupture easily leaving painful erosions and ulcers. In the male, the lesions occur mainly on the prepuce and sub-preputial areas of the penis; in females on the vulva, vagina and cervix. Healing of uncomplicated lesions take 2 to 4 weeks. Complications may include autonomic neuropathy resulting in urinary retention, autoinoculation to fingers and adjacent skin and aseptic meningitis.
Recurrent attacks are less severe than the first episode. Groups of vesicles or erosions develop on a single anatomical site and these usually heal within 10 days. Recurrences average 5 to 8 attacks a year and are more frequent during the first 2 years of infection. Genital herpes caused by HSV type 1 generally recurs infrequently.
The majority of persons with HSV infection have mild, often unrecognised or sub-clinical disease and are unaware of the infection (asymptomatic carriers). They may nevertheless shed the virus intermittently in the genital tract and thus transmit the infection to their partners unknowingly.
A patient’s prognosis and the type of counselling needed depends on the type of genital herpes (HSV-1 or HSV-2) causing the infection; therefore, the clinical diagnosis of genital herpes should be confirmed by laboratory testing.