There is often some confusion when it comes to herpes and that is easy to understand. The genital herpes is a topic that is not often discussed in the course of normal conversation. But, if you are 25 years old and over and sexually active with several partners, it is wise to be tested for genital herpes as that is a very common form of herpes. It is wise as millions of Americans are living with genital herpes because the disease can sometimes be surprisingly difficult to detect.

It is important to know and to recognize the symptoms of genital herpes. You should always seek an official diagnosis from a medical professional if you are at all concerned that you may have the disease. Many feel ashamed when they learn to know that they have genital herpes but medical experts will tell that you should not be embarrassed and the sooner you get treatment the better. When you have been diagnosed as positive, it is not necessary to identify the source and you may have had it for years already.

Doctors will tell you that it is safe to have sex with others as long as you avoid to have sex during outbreaks. You can learn to notice the warning signs of when an outbreak will be coming. It is a fact that most people infected with oral herpes are not even aware of the fact that they have the disease.

More than half of the people who have herpes show no symptoms and they are unaware that they are carriers of the disease and are capable of transferring the virus. The recurrence pattern of herpes is also as varied as the people who harbor the virus. There are estimations that 20% of the population in the USA has herpes. That is one out of five people! Now, that number is uncertain and can be a distortion of the facts.

If the signs and symptoms occur during the first outbreak, then they can be rather severe as the first attack is pretty violent. Then the virus remains dormant within the neuronal cells of the dorsal root ganglion. It will give rise to recurrent lesions but they are milder in intensity as compared to the primary attack.

This is one of the least damaging viruses and actually milder even than its relatives, the chicken-pox/shingles virus and the mono/chronic fatigue virus. The herpes simplex virus 1 is generally caught in the childhood and the genital infection from herpes simplex virus 2 is usually caused by sexual contact in the adulthood. The incubation period for genital herpes infections is up to a fortnight after exposure to the virus. Teenagers and adults who are sexually active should never have unprotected sex with a person who they even suspect may be infected by genital herpes.

Of course it can be difficult to ask someone if they are aware of having genital herpes. But how can you tell if someone has genital herpes? Pregnant women who have ever had an outbreak of genital herpes should discuss with the obstetrician before the due date. Then they can eventually plan for a non-vaginal delivery and in that way protect the baby.

Persons that are infected with genital herpes should have mercy and give others the chance to avoid the disease. One alternative is to avoid any sexual contact, which of course is very hard for most. So if you have genital herpes, you must tell your new sex partner about it and then decide about your intimate contacts.