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Genital Herpes |
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RELATED PAGES Genital herpes is a common infection caused by the Herpes simplex virus. There are two types of the virus, known as types 1 and 2. As well as genital herpes, the virus can infect the mouth with cold sores. These infections are essentially identical and are caused by the same virus.
A virus is a primitive form of life; a parasite, it cannot live by itself and is entirely dependent on the cells it invades. Viruses and bacteria are the organisms that most commonly cause infection in humans, but bacteria are larger and more independent, which make them easier to isolate and eliminate.
The virus invades the human body, often through a crack in the skin or through the moist mucosal protection found in the mouth and in the genital area. Once inside the cells, the virus uses the material in the cell to multiply (known as replication) and in so doing, destroys the host cell. The disruption to the host cell is what leads to the characteristic signs (blisters, etc) and symptoms (tingling, pain, etc) of herpes infections. Besides entering and taking over cells at the site of infection, particles of the virus enter one of the many sensory nerve fibres to be found all over the body, and proceed to move upward to where the fibre begins. This is a small cluster of cells known as a sensory ganglion. In the case of facial herpes, the virus settles in a large ganglion in the skull, known as the trigeminal ganglion.
Infection is initiated through the exposure of the genitals to the virus from active herpes on a partner (this can be the result of either genital or oral contact). The first episode is called the initial infection (primary) and it is at this stage that some virus particles retreat to the nerve cells. Subsequent infections, known as recurrences, occur if and when the virus returns from the nerve cell to the site of the first infection.
In women, the genital areas most affected are the vulva and the entrance to the vagina. Sores can sometimes develop on the cervix. In men, sores are most common on the glans (end of the penis), the foreskin and shaft of the penis. Sometimes, sores can develop on the testicles. Less commonly both men and woman can experience sores on the anus, buttocks and tops of the thighs.
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