Sexual Health 101: Everything You Need to Know About Herpes

April 24th is Break the Stigma Day - a day that inspires action from both those living with herpes virus and those not, as a way to show support for the herpes positive community. In this Sexual Health 101 article, Clinical Sexologist and Project Manager of my non-profit The Porn Conversation, Avril Louise Clarke, debunks myths and answers all of your questions about herpes.

Genital Herpes. The Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) that is known as an incurable life-long infection and therefore the end of your sex life as you knew it.

Right? Wrong.

Genital Herpes, otherwise known as Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 (HSV-2) tends to have a bad reputation and remains highly stigmatised. However, being an HSV-2 positive person doesn’t mean it is time to kiss your sex life as you knew it goodbye. By educating yourself and making the right moves, you can still lead a pleasurable sex life.

There are a lot of negative stereotypes associated with being STI-positive. The stigma that surrounds Genital Herpes makes it difficult for folks living with HSV-2 to find the right resources for them to continue living their best sex life. One of the reasons that those who test positive feel such immediate shame in their status is because most of us didn’t receive comprehensive sex education growing up and live in a society that constantly stereotypes people who contract STIs.

It’s important to grow out of the stigma about STIs – whether you test positive or not. Genital Herpes is a lot more common than you think. According to Planned Parenthood, “About 1 out of 6 Americans has Genital Herpes”. So chances are – you may actually know a few people that have it!

What is it?

Genital Herpes is an STI that causes outbreaks of painful blisters or sores on genitals and/or directly surrounding areas. Following transmission, the first outbreak will most likely appear within one to two weeks. However, the symptoms vary in severity and how it presents itself. Many people with Genital Herpes don’t notice the sores or mistake them for something else, so it’s likely that some don’t even know they’re infected. Some people who have Genital Herpes may not have symptoms at all. Although asymptomatic HSV-2 positive people are less likely to transmit the virus, they still have the potential to spread it.

The good news is, outbreaks tend to become less frequent over time and even though the symptoms can sometimes cause discomfort and pain, HSV-2 positive folks still have sex and lead perfectly healthy lives!

How is it transmitted?

Genital Herpes is spread from direct contact with infected areas of an HSV-2 positive person during vaginal, oral, and anal sex. It is also possible to spread it even when you don’t have any symptoms, so safer sex practices through use of barrier contraceptives are always recommended.

How do you know if you have it?

There is a huge issue regarding the accessibility of testing for Genital Herpes. When you go for a standard STI screening, you may notice that in the list of STIs, Genital Herpes is left out.

When patients do request a specific Genital Herpes screening, it is often shot down because they are not showing symptoms. But what if you are one of the many HSV-2 positive people that are asymptomatic or know that you may have been exposed to the virus?

This can be a frustrating matter, but it’s important to always advocate for YOUR sexual health when dealing with healthcare professionals that are not cooperating. By being specific about the type of test you are seeking, you will hopefully have a better chance of getting tested for HSV-2.

There are three ways you can be tested for Genital Herpes:

1. PCR Test

A PCR test can be taken even if you are not showing symptoms and tends to be the most accurate and rapid form of testing for HSV-2. This test looks for pieces of the virus’s DNA in a sample taken from cells or fluids from a genital sore or the urinary tract.

2. Viral Culture

This test is taken when you are showing symptoms for HSV-2. A Viral Culture involves taking a sample of cells from a sore and lab testing it. Receiving the results from this type of screening is a bit slower and can normally take up to a week.

3. Blood Test

A Blood Test helps detect antibodies to HSV-2 which may show an existence of the virus in your system. This test can be taken even if you are not showing symptoms. However, antibodies can take a couple of weeks to show up, so it’s not the best test for quick results following a possible transmission.

How do you treat it?

There is currently no cure for Genital Herpes, but (and this is a BIG but), antiviral medication exists that is extremely effective and not only helps manage your symptoms but also lowers your chance of spreading it to others during sex.

Depending on the severity and frequency of the outbreaks, antivirals can be taken intermittently, meaning only right before or during a flare up, or daily if you experience more frequent outbreaks. It’s important to always consult your doctor before beginning any antiviral treatment for HSV-2.

Disclosing your HSV-2 positive status to partners

It’s not the easiest conversation to have, but disclosing your status pushes you to have the sexual health conversations we should all really be having routinely with our sexual partners. Proper disclosure should be a mutual conversation that involves listening, asking questions, and educating yourself and your partner on treatment and safer sex practices

If you have tested positive for an STI, disclosure is necessary with past, current, and future sexual partners. Even if your past and current partners are asymptomatic, it’s good for them to know their status so they can best protect themselves and others. Being open and transparent about your status to all sexual partners is not only the responsible thing to do, but an opportunity to educate others and reduce the stigma attached to Genital Herpes.

Practicing Safer Sex is the key to leading a healthy sex life as an HSV-2 positive person. According to Planned Parenthood, “Safer sex refers to anything we do to lower our risk — and our partners’ risk — of sexually transmitted infections. Some people call it “safe sex,” but this isn’t accurate — no type of sex with a partner can be guaranteed to be 100 percent safe”.

So what does practicing safer sex as an HSV-2 positive person look like?

1. Abstaining from sex during an outbreak

Not only does having sex during an outbreak cause discomfort for an HSV-2 positive person, it can heighten the risk of transmission. Waiting until an outbreak is clear is a good way to not only minimise the risk of transmitting the infection to a partner, but having more pleasurable sexual experiences. Over time, a person who is HSV-2 positive may develop an awareness of the triggers and their body’s responses to the infection which is helpful to detect when they are heading towards an outbreak.

2. Antivirals

Use of antiviral medication can help treat sores, accelerate the healing of outbreaks, and minimise the frequency and contagiousness of them. Antiviral treatment can lead to a more pleasurable sex life and less of an overall worry of transmission.

3. Barrier Methods

Using barrier contraceptive methods like condoms and dental dams during sex may prevent the infection from being spread. It’s important to know that symptoms can exist on parts of your body that condoms don’t protect such as thighs and butt cheeks. Although condoms are not 100 percent effective, they do lower the risk of transmitting genital herpes.

It’s clear that the biggest battle that needs to be fought is the stigma that surrounds Genital Herpes. When we have sex, we should be aware of all the possible outcomes, which include the transmission of STIs. Through educating ourselves on the facts of Genital Herpes we can improve our sexual health and our relationships.

Remember, contracting an STI is never a direct reflection of your worth, just a possible outcome of having sex!

The Sexual Health 101 column pro­vides infor­ma­tion about sexual health related sub­jects but is not intended to be a substitute for med­ical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment. Any reader or per­son with a med­ical con­cern should con­sult with an appropriate doctor or physician.