| Genital
Herpes
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What
is genital herpes?
Genital herpes is a common infection caused by the Herpes simplex
virus. There are two types of the virus, known as types 1 and 2. As well
as genital herpes, the virus can infect the mouth with cold sores. These
infections are essentially identical and are caused by the same virus.
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What
is a virus?
A virus is a primitive form of life; a parasite, it cannot live by
itself and is entirely dependent on the cells it invades. Viruses and
bacteria are the organisms that most commonly cause infection in humans,
but bacteria are larger and more independent, which make them easier to
isolate and eliminate.
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Viral
infections
The virus invades the human body, often through a crack in the skin or
through the moist mucosal protection found in the mouth and in the genital
area. Once inside the cells, the virus uses the material in the cell to
multiply (known as replication) and in so doing, destroys the host cell.
The disruption to the host cell is what leads to the characteristic signs
(blisters, etc) and symptoms (tingling, pain, etc) of herpes infections.
Besides entering and taking over
cells at the site of infection, particles of the virus enter one of the
many sensory nerve fibres to be found all over the body, and proceed to
move upward to where the fibre begins. This is a small cluster of cells
known as a sensory ganglion. In the case of facial herpes, the virus
settles in a large ganglion in the skull, known as the trigeminal
ganglion.
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Genital
herpes
Infection is initiated through the exposure of the genitals to the
virus from active herpes on a partner (this can be the result of either
genital or oral contact). The first episode is called the initial
infection (primary) and it is at this stage that some virus particles
retreat to the nerve cells. Subsequent infections, known as recurrences,
occur if and when the virus returns from the nerve cell to the site of the
first infection.
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Sites
of infection
In women, the genital areas most affected are the vulva and the
entrance to the vagina. Sores can sometimes develop on the cervix.
In men, sores are most common on the
glans (end of the penis), the foreskin and shaft of the penis. Sometimes,
sores can develop on the testicles.
Less commonly both men and woman can
experience sores on the anus, buttocks and tops of the thighs.
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