Common symptoms of genital herpes
- You may have genital herpes symptoms and not even realise it, for the symptoms are not always visible and can go unnoticed.
- In many instances, symptoms appear later than when first transmitted.
- The first episode of genital herpes is usually the most severe, as the body’s immune system has not had time to develop protective antibodies.
- Without antibodies, the virus can develop rapidly, causing significant symptoms
Symptoms can include:
- Swollen lymph nodes (glands or lumps in the groin)
- Flu-like symptoms (sore muscles, tiredness, headaches, fever and chills)
- Swelling, pain or itching around the genitals
- Painful red spots (which may turn into blisters)
- Pain while urinating
- Women may experience vaginal discharge
You may also experience a second outbreak of blisters. Symptoms usually last 2-4 weeks and cause no long-term damage.
Before an outbreak
Prior to an outbreak, you might experience redness or blisters and a tingling or itching sensation. This could also be accompanied by a shooting pain in the nerve that passes through the buttock or the leg. These symptoms are called a ‘prodrome’ and generally occur a few hours before an outbreak. The virus is thought to be most active during a prodrome, while sores are present, and up to two days after the sores have completely healed.
