Genital herpes is a common infection that is classified as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) because transmission usually occurs through vaginal, oral or anal intercourse. Viruses of two types cause genital herpes; herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). The two viruses have some differences as well as some similarities. For instance, both are equally contagious, their management is by the use of the same medication, and they present with similar symptoms. However, the viruses are different in one or more ways ("Herpes simplex virus," 2017). This paper will, therefore, discuss genital herpes caused by HSV-2, its presentation, modes of transmission, diagnosis, its associated complications, and its management.
HSV-2 is usually transmitted through sexual intercourse, which is later accompanied by genital herpes HSV-2 infection either in the genital area or the anal area. The virus is incurable, and once an individual is infected, the disease lasts for as long as they live. Genital herpes HSV-2 is an issue of global concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 400 million people were living with the condition in 2012. The statistics further indicated that Africa was one of the most affected regions, with more than 30% of the total cases being from Africa. Estimations also reported that in America the prevalence was high, with more than 12% of the total cases being among the Americans. The study by WHO additionally found out that a high number of new cases of infection with genital herpes caused by HSV-2 was among the adolescents although it was also established that its prevalence increases with age. The study also found out that genital herpes HSV-2 is highly prevalent in women than in men where approximately 267 million women were living with the infection. About 150 million men, on the other hand, were found to live with the disease ("Herpes simplex virus," 2017).
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The condition usually presents no symptoms at all, and an individual can live with it unrecognized for years. However, the most significant manifestation of HSV-2 infection is the occurrence of one or more blisters or ulcers in the genital area or the anal area. Some individuals mistake these blisters for other skin conditions, which is the reason why most people remain undiagnosed. Once the blisters break, they leave painful sores in the infected region, which generally heals within seven or more days. Other symptoms of a newly occurred infection include body aches, swollen lymph nodes, and fever. The initial diagnosis of HSV-2 is usually severe, but the subsequent outbreaks are generally less severe and last for a short period. Though the infection is incurable, the frequency of the outbreaks decreases with time. Before the occurrence of genital ulcers, most people experience tingling sensations in the legs, hips, and buttocks (Bernstein et al., 2017).
HSV-2 infection is usually transmitted from one person to another during sexual intercourse. This happens when an individual gets into contact with the genital surfaces, skin sores or fluids of an infected individual. However, the virus can also be transmitted from a genital or anal area that appears to be normal, and therefore the infection is usually transmitted even in the absence of symptoms. A rare mode of transmission is from an infected mother to an infant during child delivery or even before birth. In such cases, the child gets infected with a deadly herpes infection known as neonatal herpes (Johnston et al., 2017).
Various complications have been associated with HSV-2, some of which include psychosocial impacts, neonatal herpes, and HIV. Studies show that HSV-2 infection increases the risk of acquiring HIV by three times. Also, the likelihood of spreading HI to others increases with the presence of the disease. Moreover, one of the most common infections affecting people with HIV is HSV-2 ( Bernstein et al., 2017) . Immunocompromised individuals such as those with HIV are usually at a higher risk, and their symptoms are generally more severe with reoccurrence frequencies being much higher. As mentioned above, neonatal herpes occurs during the birth of a child, and it can lead to lifelong neurological disability or even loss of life. The reoccurrence of symptoms which are painful may lead to stigma and psychological distress both of which affects the quality of an individual's life. Other serious but rare complications associated with HSV-2 infection are esophagitis, pneumonitis, meningoencephalitis and retinal necrosis (Johnston et al., 2017).
HSV-2 infection is usually diagnosed through physical examinations and laboratory tests which include Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, viral culture, and blood tests. Blood tests typically detect past herpes infection by detecting herpes virus antibodies in the blood. Viral cultures, on the other hand, establish the presence of the virus in the genital sores. PCR test is used to determine the type of HSV infection that an individual has. Since there is no cure for the disease, treatment usually revolves around reducing the severity and frequency of outbreaks. Antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir are the most common medications used ("CDC – Genital Herpes Treatment," 2017). These drugs also facilitate fast healing of the sores and minimize transmission of the disease from one person to another. The spread of the disease can be prevented by observing certain measures such as avoiding sexual relations during an outbreak (since it is more contagious during outbreaks) and consistent use of condoms. More effective prevention measures against HSV-2 are currently under study including vaccinations and topical microbicides ("NIH scientists advance understanding of herpesvirus infection," 2017).
In conclusion, therefore, the high prevalence of genital herpes caused by HSV-2 throughout the world, and the fact that it is a lifelong disease shows that there is a need for more research, which can facilitate the development of more advanced preventive measures and treatment options. With more advanced precautionary measures, there will be a reduced prevalence of the disease, while more advanced treatment options will reduce the suffering that those already affected undergo.
References
Bernstein, D. I., Wald, A., Warren, T., Fife, K., Tyring, S., Lee, P., … Hetherington, S. (2017). Therapeutic Vaccine for Genital Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Infection: Findings From a Randomized Trial. The Journal of Infectious Diseases , 215 (6), 856-864. doi:10.1093/infdis/jix004
CDC – Genital Herpes Treatment. (2017, October 31). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/treatment.htm
Herpes simplex virus. (2017, January 31). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus
Johnston, C., Magaret, A., Roychoudhury, P., Greninger, A. L., Reeves, D., Schiffer, J., … Wald, A. (2017). Dual-strain genital herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection in the US, Peru, and 8 countries in sub-Saharan Africa: A nested cross-sectional viral genotyping study. PLOS Medicine , 14 (12), e1002475. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002475
NIH scientists advance understanding of herpesvirus infection. (2017, April 12). Retrieved from https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-scientists-advance-understanding-herpesvirus-infection
