Is Genital Herpes really as bad as people think?

I'm just wondering because I read that as many as 70% of people with Genital Herpes don't know they have it and don't have any symptoms. So if someone has it but never has any symptoms and it doesn't cause any other problems, is it really that big of a deal?

The reason that I'm asking this is because most people have oral herpes (usually acquired in childhood) and people don't make a big deal about it, and most people don't have any major problems from it. Is genital herpes really a bad thing or is it just considered worse because it's transmitted sexually?

Herpes simplex is a viral infection caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), one of the herpesviridae. There are two types of Herpes Simplex Virus: HSV Type 1 and HSV Type 2. The ways in which herpes infections manifest themselves vary tremendously amoung individuals. Although the HSV-1 virus is traditionally associated with the orofacial infection, more cases of genital infection with HSV-1 are now being seen.

When a person discovers he or she has genital herpes, it can have a dramatic effect on that person's mental well-being and sexual behavior.

The impact of genital herpes included:

partial or complete cessation of sexual activity
total or partial loss of interest in sex
decreased sexual pleasure
sex life more inhibited and less spontaneous
anxiety related to sexual desirability
increased masturbation
increased depression

The long-term effects of herpes are not well known, but the blisters may leave scars, and historically it was thought to contribute to the risk of cervical cancer in women. Subsequently, another virus, human papillomavirus (HPV), has been shown to be a primary cause of cervical cancer in women. Additionally, people with herpes are at a higher risk of HIV transmission because of open blisters. In newborns, however, herpes can cause serious damage: death, neurological damage, mental retardation, and blindness.

Currently, there is no viable cure for herpes.

Depends on your immune system.
Having oral herpes is pretty good protection against genital herpes, just like chicken pox vaccine gave protection against the smallpox.

type "genital herpes" in google images http://images.google.com and you tell me if its good or bad

It can be very painful.

Believe it or not, it is possible to get Herpes simplex from someone with a fever blister that gives you oral sex! Yes it is bad, you do not want to get this disease!

Not necessarily, but it can be. It can be very painful and can even make you sterile. Wrap it up.

It is an epidemic,people can be carriers and not know and pass it along to others and they have break out and have to take meds the rest of their lives and if a female has it when she is pregnant it all has to be considered on c-section so that the baby does not get it. so yes it is a problem when there is no cure for it,not to mention it ^ a women's chance of cancer of female organs .a cold sore is caused by a different virus. so my advice is to wear protection both men + women....

if we are talking about herpes genitalis, it is a viral disease manifesting on the genital organs with papules that contains watery fluid which after three to four days forms crusts and heals by it self, the problem and the danger is that it may cause cervical cancer, and a potential entry for HIV.

The severity of outbreaks can be higher with HSV-2 which is conventionally the genital herpes virus. But, HSV-1 can be transmitted to the genital region too. Primarily, its the social stigma associated with genital herpes "Sexually transmitted" that makes it sound worse.

i'm not to sure how bad it can get never had it or known anyone who does

Having herpes sucks... I would never want to have anyone else deal with it. (whether it's genital or oral, there's a bad stigma attached to it). Oh, and by the way... you can pass oral herpes to the genitals through oral sex!! It's true that most people don't know they have it... that's why it's so easy to pass along.

Yes herpes can kill you. A lot of AIDS fatalities were from herpes. I have herpes and I got so bad that I received Workman's comp. I picked it up years ago in my nostrils. There's nothing that I know of to keep it away. I' ll go a couple years and then when I've let myself get rundown (no sleep or other sickness) it pops up again. It stays dormant in the nerves. The nose has the trigeminal nerve which goes into the CNS. If the virus goes up in your brain,say your goodbyes. And to confuse the situation you can get genital herpes orally and oral herpes from the genitals.

Herpes can be painful. A break in the skin can allow other germs, including HIV, quicker access to the body, that is why herpes sufferers are more at risk of HIV. In addition herpes sufferers are considerd more likely to participate in risky sex. . .unprotected sex (the assumption is that they would not have herpes if they used safe sex). It was once considered that herpes led to uterine cancer, too. A major cause of cervical cancer has been identified as HPV or venerial warts. Further assumption is that the diseases, again are common in people not using safe sex.

Sometimes I think the same about herpes. I was watching some pictures of herpes blisters in the internet and i was so scared, but then I read a message from a girl who said the cases we can see in the web are so severes.
I don麓t know for real but, is better to get tested every year 驴don麓t u think?
Cheers

I have a friend who has them. He said that at times it can be painfully, and when he has an outbreak he has to refrain from having sex. Other then that he says it doesn'treally affect his normal life. I guess when you look at it even though herpes stays with you forever, a person could get something worse. But I think that you're right, people make it seem worse then it really is because it's spread sexually.

Oh no...it is definately worse. Usually the people who do not know that they have it are men, just as with pretty much any other STD, men do not usually have symptoms. Genital herpes or HSVII...is really horrible. My first outbreak lasted about a week or so...I got a bunch of sores all over down there...even on the back of my legs, and I got 2 "cold sores" one on each side of my mouth, it hurt, it itched...incredibly...think of a rash or a bunch of big mosquito bites all over...down there. It even hurt to pee...I had to invent ways to pee so it wouldn't hurt. I spent most of my time in a cool bath so it wouldn't hurt so much. Along with the sores I felt like I had a bad flu...without the throwing up. It was the most miserable thing I have ever gone through. Since then I have not had another outbreak like this...but I do get them every once in a while. Along with the occasional itching and not feeling very well I also get to look forward to have a C-Section when I have children...or I have to take a few medications to make sure I don't get an outbreak while I'm pregnant then to make sure my baby doesn't get herpes I will have to have a C-Section...because genital herpes is FATAL to a baby. So yes it is a horrible thing and it is incurable!! and it is not transmitted sexually all the time...lets say you're in a bathroom with a line to get to the stalls and a woman/guy comes out and you go right in right after they do and they touched the stall or somewhere that you touch right away right after they touch their genitals and they have an outbreak and then you touch your genitals...there's a very good chance you will get herpes. That is pretty much how we have figured I got it. I had not seen my husband in about 2 weeks and I was not with anyone else...sooooo....and you get symptoms 2 to 10 days after getting the virus. So be careful out there!!