Sexual Health

Genital herpes

Genital herpes is a lifelong HSV infection with latent virus in sensory ganglia, causing painful first episodes and usually milder recurrences; diagnosis, partner counselling, antiviral treatment and pregnancy planning are the core UK pathway.

Definition

Genital herpes is an anogenital infection caused by HSV-1 or HSV-2. The virus establishes latency in sensory ganglia and can reactivate to cause recurrent lesions or asymptomatic shedding.

First principles

HSV moves from epithelium to sensory ganglia and remains latent

HSV-1 or HSV-2 replicates in mucosal or cutaneous epithelium, causing vesicles that break down into ulcers, then travels along sensory nerves to establish lifelong latency in sacral ganglia. Reactivation returns along the same nerve to produce lesions in a similar distribution or asymptomatic shedding; antivirals suppress replication but do not eradicate latent virus.

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