At first, there may be flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, and nausea. Sores may appear as small, fluid-filled blisters on the genitals, buttocks, or other areas. The sores often are grouped in clusters, and the area where the sores appear may be swollen and tender. If sores are on the genitals, a stinging or burning feeling while urinating is common. Show The first outbreak of genital herpes may last 2–4 weeks. During this time, the sores break open and release fluid. Over a period of days, the sores become crusted and then heal without leaving scars. Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). The herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes genital herpes. Genital herpes can often be spread by skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. Some people infected with the virus may have very mild symptoms or no symptoms. They can still able to spread the virus. Other people have pain, itching and sores around the genitals, anus or mouth. There is no cure for genital herpes. Symptoms often show up again after the first outbreak. Medicine can ease symptoms. It also lowers the risk of infecting others. Condoms can help prevent the spread of a genital herpes infection. Products & Services
SymptomsGenital herpes Open pop-up dialog boxClose Genital herpesGenital herpesSores associated with genital herpes can be small bumps, blisters or open sores. Scabs eventually form and the sores heal, but they tend to recur. Most people infected with HSV don't know they have it. They may have no symptoms or have very mild symptoms. Symptoms start about 2 to 12 days after exposure to the virus. They may include:
During the first outbreak, you may commonly have flu-like symptoms such as:
Differences in symptom locationSores appear where the infection enters the body. You can spread the infection by touching a sore and then rubbing or scratching another area of your body. That includes your fingers or eyes. Sore can develop on or in the:
Repeat outbreaksAfter the first outbreak of genital herpes, symptoms often appear again. These are called recurrent outbreaks or recurrent episodes. How often recurrent outbreaks happen varies widely. You'll usually have the most outbreaks the first year after infection. They may appear less often over time. Your symptoms during recurrent outbreaks usually don't last as long and aren't as severe as the first. You may have warning signs a few hours or days before a new outbreak starts. These are called prodromal symptoms. They include:
When to see a doctorIf you suspect you have genital herpes, or any other STI, see your health care provider. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inboxSign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data.To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. |