Virus called Herpes Simplex Virus or HSV causes genital herpes. HSV is of two types- HSV1 and HSV2.
HSV1 is mainly responsible for causing Oral herpes also called as Cold sore. HSV2 is mainly responsible for causing Genital herpes.
HSV1 can also affect the genital area and cause genital herpes. Therefore if anybody has active cold sores and performs oral sex on anybody, the other person may get Genital herpes.
Though a healthy individual can also contract HSV2 in mouth, it rarely causes cold sores. To conclude HSV1 can cause both Genital herpes and Cold sores, whereas HSV2 can cause only genital herpes.
How the virus gets transmitted?
Genital herpes is transmitted by sexual contact. Anybody who has genital herpes can pass on the virus to his/her partner through a cut in the skin or mucous membrane. So every sexual encounter with an infected person can be cause of herpes.
Herpes episodes-
Herpes does not remain active all the time. It triggers in episodes. This is what happens- Once the virus enters the body, it multiplies rapidly. Most of the people suffer from the first episode of herpes, which shows as sores. After some days the virus travels back to the resting place near the spinal cord and remains dormant there. In most of the people the virus may get triggered again and it then travels back to the genitals and breaks-out as sores. Think of an aircraft, which remains in its hanger and flies out when instructed and then goes back to the hanger. Herpes virus behaves similarly. As there is no permanent cure of herpes, the virus remains inside the body for life.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.
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