Genital herpes - how do you know?

Tell-tale warning signs—and what you should do about them.

Warning signs

1. The first sign of an episode is often a tingling feeling in the skin and an area of reddening or pains in the legs.
2. Some patients may experience general symptoms such as fever, muscle pain/tiredness and swollen, tender glands in the groin.
3. A slight swelling may develop and then fluid-filled blisters which can look like small pimples appear. These are sometimes very painful especially if exposed to water or urine.
4. Blisters burst to form an ulcer and then crust over
5. The lesions are often painful for an average of 9 days and take 2–3 weeks to heal.

What should you do

An immediate appointment with a doctor should be made. A swab will probably be taken to confirm the diagnosis. Antiviral therapy will help to shorten the duration of the episode.