A 47-year-old male asked:
How is herpes simplex virus infection treated.
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. Matthew Gorenanswered
34 years experience
Antivirals: Well it depends where your infection is but herpes is treatable with antiviral medication such as acyclovir. It doesn't cure you of the virus, but it does shorten the duration of the attacks.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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A 32-year-old member asked:
How do I know if I have herpes simplex virus ?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Ryan Phasoukanswered
Family Medicine 20 years experience
Testing: A herpes viral culture can determine if a rash is due to the herpes virus. A doctor can perform this if there is an active lesion. If there is no active lesion, a blood test can be performed to determine if there are antibodies against any recent or past herpes infection.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
How can the herpes simplex virus spread?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. Ryan Phasoukanswered
Family Medicine 20 years experience
Yes: The transmission of herpes is not 100% with contact but increases with any breaks in skin or contact with mucosal membranes. One could potentially "auto-inoculate" or spread the herpes virus to different parts of their body this way if there is contact with contents of a herpes rash to the other body part(s).
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Sep 17, 2019
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