What are the signs and symptoms of genital herpes?
Many people who are infected with HSV-2 are not even aware that they are infected. However, if symptoms do appear during the first outbreak, they can be quite dramatic. The initial outbreak usually occurs within two weeks after the virus is transmitted from one person to another, and the sores usually heal within two to four weeks after virus transmission. Other signs during the primary episode may include a second group of blisters, and flu-like symptoms, including fever and swollen glands. Most people with HSV-2 infection, however, never have sores, or they have very mild signs that they don’t even notice, or that they mistake for some other skin condition. Individuals who are diagnosed with a first outbreak of genital herpes usually have several (typically four or five) recurrent outbreaks within a year. Over the years, these recurrences usually decrease in frequency. Sometimes, a person does not become aware of the infection until years after it is acquired.
