What are the signs and symptoms of the first outbreak of genital herpes?
Some people experience very mild genital herpes symptoms or no symptoms at all, so they don’t even know they are infected. However, for many people the first outbreak is often the worst, and genital herpes symptoms can be quite painful. The main signs of genital herpes are sores around the vagina, on the penis, or near the anus. Sometimes genital herpes sores appear on the scrotum, buttocks, or thighs. The sores may appear about 4 to 7 days after infection. They usually begin as a rash of red bumps. The bumps then turn into blisters. It is common for the blisters to open up, sometimes causing severe pain. In time, the sores will scab over and heal. The first outbreak of genital herpes usually lasts 10 to 20 days until healing is complete.
