What are the symptoms of herpes? How soon do they show up?
A. The symptoms of a first outbreak of genital herpes usually appear 2 to 10 days after exposure to herpes and last an average of 2 to 3 weeks. With the first infection, without treatment the sores typically are active (that is, red, irritated, perhaps painful) for 1-2 weeks, then take another 7-10 days to heal completely, so total time from onset to complete healing generally pmtis 2-4 weeks. Recurrent outbreaks are briefer, typically 7-14 days. Symptoms of a first genital herpes infection vary widely and may include any of the following: blisters or other sores on the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, buttocks, or (rarely) elsewhere on the body. Small red bumps usually appear first, then develop into blisters, and then become painful, open sores. Over a period of days, the sores may scab over. Finally, they heal. In moist areas, such as around the vaginal opening, labia, or around the anus, lesions often rapidly develop into open sores that can be especially painful. First episodes often
