Genital Herpes and the STD Clinic in Singapore

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Genital herpes is caused by a virus and spread through direct sexual contact. Once acquired, the virus remains dormant in the body for life, though medications can help to keep it under control. An STD clinic can provide testing for the herpes virus.

Genital Herpes and the STD Clinic in Singapore

Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a virus called herpes simplex virus (HSV). It causes painful blisters to appear on the genitals. The virus is spread directly during sexual contact. Sexual fluids don’t have to be exchanged to spread herpes; direct contact with the genitals is enough for the virus to be passed from one person to another.

The infection with HSV is lifelong. After the initial infection, the virus enters the sensory nerve cells of the region. There, it lies dormant, but it can reactivate in the future, causing a new outbreak of blisters. Because nerve cells don’t die off and get replaced regularly (like most cells do), the virus will remain in the infected nerve cells for life, and there’s no way to remove it.

That doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do about having herpes. If outbreaks are frequent, then you can take medications to reduce the severity and frequency of the outbreaks. Medication can also be taken at the start of an outbreak to help the sores heal sooner.

Knowing that you have %genital herpes% also allows you to protect your sexual partners from the virus. There are daily medications that reduce the chances that you’ll pass the infection on to your sexual partner. Knowing that you have herpes also allows you to protect your partner by using condoms.

If you suspect that you have genital herpes, or that you may have been exposed, you should visit an %STD clinic% to get tested. There are several different tests that an STD clinic can perform to determine whether you have genital herpes. If you have sores on the day you visit the clinic, then your healthcare provider at your STD clinic in Singapore can obtain fluid or scrapings from the sores and test them to determine whether they were caused by HSV.

There’s also a blood test that looks for antibodies against the virus in your blood. If you have these antibodies, it means that you’ve been exposed to the virus in the past. It doesn’t necessarily prove that you have a current infection with HSV, or that you have active herpes sores. However, if you’ve been exposed, there’s a high likelihood that you carry the virus inside of your nerve cells, and you may have outbreaks in the future. You could also pass the herpes virus on to future sexual partners.

Your %STD clinic in Singapore% may also recommend that you get tested for other STDs. If you’ve been exposed to herpes, there may also be a chance that you’ve been exposed to other diseases, such as hepatitis B or syphilis. Depending on your situation, you may need testing for these other STDs as well. An STD clinic is well-equipped to provide you with all of the testing you need.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Genital Herpes – CDC Fact Sheet.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 19 May 2016. Accessed 13 Jun 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes.htm

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Diseases and conditions – genital herpes.” Mayo Clinic. Published 21 May 2014. Accessed 13 Jun 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/genital-herpes/basics/causes/con-20020893

References

Genital at Shim Clinic, Singapore