TREATMENT OF HERPES
Report #7140
Ninety-two percent of North Americans have had herpes and 30 million have genital herpes, even though the vast majority do not know that they have it.
There are two types of herpes. Herpes type I affects primarily the mouth/ and herpes type II affects primarily the genitals, although both types can go both places. To get herpes, you need the virus and broken skin. Since rubbing breaks skin, sexual contact with infected partners causes herpes. Typically, a person develops grouped painful or itchy blisters that look like poison ivy and disappear after one to six weeks. For some, genital herpes never recur, but almost all people who have a painful first episode will have recurrent blisters in exactly the same place (1). A person who has herpes can be contagious, even when there are no visible blisters. The only way to diagnose herpes is to have a culture done on a wet blister. There are no dependable blood tests to tell if you have herpes because more than 92% of all Americans have had herpes and therefore have positive blood tests.
If you have fewer than four recurrent genital herpes attacks per year, your doctor will probably prescribe that you keep Famvir or Valicyclovir on hand all the time and use them at the first tingling or itching that precede an outbreak. If you have more than 4 attacks a year, your doctor will probably prescribe Famvir or Valicyclovir once a day for three years. (2) By the third year on that regimen, as many as 82% have no outbreaks at all. Exciting new research shows that taking acyclovir every day can prevent a person from being contagious (4). See report #G300.
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News
1) J Benedetti, L Corey, R Ashley. Recurrence rates in genital herpes after symptomatic
first-episode infection. Annals of Internal Medicine 121: 11 (DEC 1 1994):847-854. 2) Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines. CDC MMWR Recommendations and
Reports. 1993(Sept 24);42. 3) A Wald, J Zeh, G Barnum, LG Davis, L Corey. Suppression of subclinical shedding of
herpes simplex virus type 2 with acyclovir. Annals of Internal Medicine 124: 1 Part 1 (JAN
1 1996):8-15. 4) R Patel, NJ Bodsworth, P Woolley, B Peters, G Vejlsgaard, S Saari, A Gibb, J
Robinson. Valaciclovir for the suppression of recurrent genital HSV infection: A placebo
controlled study of once daily therapy. Genitourinary Medicine 73: 2 (APR 1997):105-109. 5) NJ Bodsworth, RJ Crooks, S Borelli, G Vejlsgaard, J Paavonen, AM Worm, N Uexkull, J
Esmann, A Strand, AJ Ingamells, A Gibb. Valaciclovir versus aciclovir in patient initiated
treatment of recurrent genital herpes: A randomised, double blind clinical trial.
Genitourinary Medicine 73: 2 (APR 1997):110-116. 6) DM Huse, S Schainbaum, AJ Kirsch, S Tyring. Economic evaluation of famciclovir in
reducing the duration of postherpetic neuralgia. American Journal of Health - System
Pharmacy 54: 10(MAY 15 1997):1180-1184.
Reported 7/30/97; Checked 9/5/05