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General Herpes
Were you looking for information about Genital Herpes? General herpes is a common misspelling of genital herpes.
Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease that is caused by the herpes simplex virus. Once you are infected with the virus, it stays in your body and may cause outbreaks. During an outbreak, blisters can form around your genitals or rectum that may take up to four weeks to heal. Although genital herpes is incurable, many medications are available to prevent future outbreaks.
Having vaginal or anal intercourse with someone who has open herpes sores is the most common way to get the disease. Transmission can occur, however, from an infected partner who does not have visible sores and may not know that he or she is infected. Genital herpes transmission may also occur through close contact other than sexual intercourse, such as through oral sex or close skin-to-skin contact.
(Click Genital Herpes for more information on the causes of this disease, possible complications, and what to expect during an outbreak. You can also click any of the links in the box to the right for specific information.)
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD