Herpes on vagina and herpes on vulva: How to eliminate them and avoid recurrences?

If you have found this page, you are probably interested in information about herpes on vulva or herpes on vagina, popularly known as herpes on vag.

Herpes is a disease that affects you physically and can cause emotional trauma. The best way to counteract that trauma is to know about the disease and the ways to treat and cure it.

Medical research has shown if you know about your disease and its causes, you can be cured faster than if you do not.

In this article you will learn about the treatment and cure of herpes on vagina and herpes on vulva, its signs and symptoms, its causes and its diagnosis.

At the beginning of the article I have included a section about the anatomy and physiology of the vagina and external genitalia of the woman which will be useful for understanding the other parts of the paper.

The article is written in clear and simple language to make it easier for you to understand. You can start reading in the section that interests you most.

I hope reading this article will help you learn more about your illness and make decisions that will help you enjoy good physical and mental health.

If you are a Spanish speaker you can access the Spanish version of this article about vaginal herpes and vulvar herpes by clicking on the link.

The vagina and the external genitalia of the woman [↑]

In this section I describe the characteristics of vagina and the external genitalia of the woman because these structures are often affected by genital herpes on vagina and genital herpes on vulva.

The vagina and its characteristics

The vagina is a structure that connects the inside to the outside of the female genital system.

This structure is an elastic tube about 10 centimeters long that extends from the outside to the uterus which forms an angle whose amplitude is close to that of a right angle, is located behind the urinary bladder and the urethra to which it is attached by its anterior wall. Behind it is related to the rectum and the perineum.

The outer part of the vagina is located behind the opening of the urethra and opens between the labia minora of the external genitals.

The vagina is composed of three layers. The outermost layer is formed by connective tissue, the middle layer is a muscle and the inner layer is a mucosal layer with multiple transverse folds in the shape of a sickle between which there are grooves of variable depth. These folds tend to disappear as the woman ages.

The walls of the inner layer of the vagina are usually in contact with each other. For this reason the vagina appears to be a very narrow cavity.

The function of the vagina in human reproduction is to receive semen, conserve spermatozoids and direct them towards the entrance of the uterus to encourage fertilization of the ovum.

Parts of the vagina.

The external genitalia: the vulva

The external genitalia of women are called vulva and their functions are attraction and lubrication in reproduction. The vulva consists of five structures: mount of Venus, labia majora, labia minora, clitoris and vaginal vestibule.

Structures of the vulva.

Mount of Venus is a bulge composed of adipose tissue that is located in front of the symphysis of the pubis and is covered with hairs at puberty.

The labia majora are two folds formed by adipose tissue, covered with skin, which extend from mount of Venus downwards and backwards. They join behind at the rear commissure, which is in front of the anus, and in front at the front commissure.

The outer face of the labia majora is covered with hair and the inner face is smooth and contains sebaceous glands and sweat glands.

The labia majora can be very close to each other, hiding the labia minora, clitoris and vaginal vestibule.

The labia minora are two small folds surrounded by the labia majora and are generally not visible from the outside; they are smooth and form the boundary of the vaginal vestibule.

The inner part of the clitoris is formed by two roots on both sides that have an average length of 10 cm. Vaginal penetration causes orgasm in women due to the existence of these roots. This belies the mistaken belief in the existence of two types of orgasms, one vaginal and the other clitoral.

Clitoris is the only organ in the human body whose only function is pleasure and it was first identified in 1559.

There are far more nerve endings in the glans of the clitoris than in its inner part and than in the man’s penis.

The vaginal vestibule is the space limited by the labia minora of the vulva. The urethra and vagina open in this space. Several glands are located on its lower surface, including the two Bartholin’s glands or major vestibular glands next to the vaginal opening, the minor vestibular glands, and the paraurethral glands.

What is herpes on vagina? [↑]

Vaginal herpes is a recurrent sexually transmitted disease caused by the herpes simplex virus that infects the vagina and occasionally the cervix.

According to the stories told by herpes patients, the same experiences are not experienced when suffering from a cold sore as when herpes affects the genitals, although these diseases can be caused by a virus of the same type.

Perhaps you have ever been interested in the differences between genital herpes and vaginal herpes. The second is a particular case of the first because genital herpes, in addition to infecting the vagina, can also invade the structures of the vulva and areas near it: the buttocks, anus and thighs.

What are the signs and symptoms of herpes on vagina? [↑]

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers a disease^[1] to be an alteration or deviation of the physiological state of one or more parts of a person’s body that is manifested by clinical signs and symptoms. Now I am going to tell you about the signs and herpes on vag symptoms.

In the context of health the words symptom and sign have different meanings. The symptoms of an illness refer to the patient’s perception, while the signs refer to the health professional’s perception; this is why they are called clinical signs.

For example, the burning you feel at the onset of herpes is a symptom, while the initial redness of the affected area is a sign.

Stages of herpes on vagina.

The symptoms and signs of early stages of herpes after the prodrome (2, 3, and 4) are called a herpes outbreak.

These stages are repeated in recurrences of herpes on the vagina, but recurrences are usually less severe than the first outbreak.

The recurrence of herpes is a characteristic that differentiates it from other viral diseases such as measles and rubella and means that you can have outbreaks repeatedly throughout your life, although experience shows that as people age outbreaks become less frequent.

Herpes disease begins with the first outbreak. People with herpes are sick even if they don’t have an outbreak because of the associated psychological disorders.

The prodrome stage

The prodrome stage is the initial stage of vaginal herpes and herpes anywhere else in the body. The most common symptoms at this stage are: lack of appetite, fever, malaise, swollen lymph nodes in the groin, muscle aches in the lower back, buttocks, knees, or thighs, and tingling and itching in the vagina.

The duration of this stage may vary from one woman to another, but it is usually less than six hours.

The Inflammation stage

At this stage the vagina becomes inflamed and your skin becomes redder than usual. Because of the inflammation, you may have difficulty urinating. In the case of acute inflammation, you will need a bladder catheter to empty the urinary bladder.

The stage of the blisters

This stage begins one or two days after the prodrome, continues to the stage of inflammation, although when the blisters come out the vagina remains inflamed.

The blisters are lighter in color than the rest of the skin of the vagina, and the inside contains a fluid where the herpes simplex virus is present.

The stage of the ulcers

Ulcers are usually very painful, arise when the blisters break, and usually appear three days after the prodrome.

The stage of the crusts

The ulcers take about four days to shrink and are covered by a very fine crust. The appearance of crusts decreases pain in the herpes-affected area.

The healing stage

It is the stage when the crusts disappear and the skin of the vagina is restored to its normal state without scars. The virus that caused the disease is removed from the host ganglia to prevent destruction by the immune system.

Herpes on vulva [↑]

Herpes on vulva is a recurrent, sexually transmitted disease caused by the herpes simplex virus that infects one or more of the structures of the vulva and occurs at the same stages as vaginal herpes.

The structures of the vulva that tend to be most affected are the labia majora and mount of Venus.

The signs and symptoms of vulvar herpes in the prodrome stage are similar to the signs and symptoms of vaginal herpes. In the next stages, differences are due to the specificities of the vulvar structures.

Causes, triggers and effects of vaginal herpes and vulvar herpes [↑]

In this section, I describe the causes of vaginal herpes and vulvar herpes, factors that can contribute to herpes, if you are infected with the virus, and possible effects of herpes on your health.

Causes

The root cause of these diseases is herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), also known as genital herpes virus, although they can also be caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), known as oral herpes virus.

There are people who confuse the name of the disease with the name of the cause because both names include the word herpes. The cause is the virus; the disease is the physiological alteration or deviation that the virus causes.

These viruses are spread by contact with the affected area. For example, if a person who has a genital herpes outbreak has sex; his or her partner will most likely be infected with the virus.

Similarly, if the mouth of a person who has an oral herpes outbreak comes into contact with your partner’s genitals, his or her partner is very likely to become infected and have genital herpes.

Infection with the virus does not always cause herpes; there are HSV-positive people who never have an outbreak. These people usually do not know they are infected, although they can spread the virus to others when the virus is active. This is one of the reasons why the number of infected people increases rapidly each year.

Herpes triggers

There are several factors, called triggers, which can contribute to getting herpes on vagina or herpes on vulva, if you are infected with the herpes simplex virus. The effect of these factors is that they weaken the immune system or are associated with a weakened immune system.

There are foods you should avoid if you are infected with the virus. In the book “The Ultimate Herpes Protocol” there is a list of foods you should avoid and foods you should eat.

I have dedicated an article exclusively to the anti-herpes diet that contains all the information you need about the diet you should consume to avoid outbreaks.

Effects of herpes

Herpes is a recurrent disease whose outbreaks always affect the same area. This means that if you suffer from vulvar herpes, when you have a recurrence your vulva will be affected again. Sometimes the recurrence does not affect the same place, but a place close to the initial outbreak, but in the same area.

Possible complications of herpes include infection by bacteria in the affected area due to ulcers.

Herpes also opens the gap to HIV infection. A study published by AIDS Journal in 2006^[2] states herpes simplex virus type 2 infection in women and men increases their vulnerability to HIV infection by three times.

The virus in vaginal herpes or vulvar herpes can spread to other parts of your body if you don’t take the right preventive measures. Remember that herpes is spread by contact with the virus.

If your eyes are infected with the virus, you may have ocular herpes and herpes keratitis that will affect your vision temporarily or permanently.

Diagnosis of herpes on vagina and vulvar herpes [↑]

How do you know if you have herpes on your vagina or vulva?

The doctor will examine the affected area and decide what steps to take.

In your interview with the doctor you should be as honest as possible because any details you omit could harm your health in the future.

There are laboratory tests through which it is possible to diagnose the infection with certainty. These are necessary even if the herpes simplex infection is evident, because it is important to know the type of virus causing the disease for the choice of treatment to be used.

There are several types of laboratory tests to diagnose herpes simplex virus infection. The simplest test is based on viral culture. It involves taking a sample with a cotton swab from a blister or ulcer and then placing the sample in a culture medium.

The two main disadvantages of this test are that it needs a sufficient amount of virus to be effective and its performance requires the patient to have an outbreak of herpes. According to statistics, this test usually produces 50% false negatives, i.e., cases in which a negative result is obtained when the patient is infected.

When the result of this test is negative, other complementary tests should be used.

Because of the characteristics of the cultured herpes test, we recommend that you see your doctor at the start of the outbreak to ensure the effectiveness of the test.

Herpes blood tests do not detect the virus directly, but investigate the presence of antibodies that the body produces against the infection. Some of these tests can detect the type of virus.

Treatments for herpes on vagina and herpes on vulva [↑]

You may not have thought about the importance of getting treatment for herpes. Some reasons to take action in that direction are as follows:

• You will be able to enjoy better physical and mental health.
• You will avoid infecting other people.
• You can avoid possible complications of herpes.
• You will avoid possible diseases associated with herpes.
• You won’t put your baby in danger at birth.

There are several treatments for herpes; some come from conventional medicine, others from alternative medicine, and others combine both approaches.

Conventional medicine is based on approaches to human health care by physicians and allied personnel such as nurses, psychologists and physiotherapists.

There are different names for non-conventional medicine. The terminology used here is that of the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)^[3], which is the federal government’s lead agency for research into human health care practices that substitute for, complement, or integrate with conventional medical practices.

The terminology used by this institution calls alternative medicine to human health care approaches that use non-conventional practices or non-conventional products.

True alternative medicine is rare because we tend to use non-conventional treatments alongside conventional treatments.

According to this terminology, the treatments for herpes on vagina and herpes on vulva are divided into: 1) conventional medicine treatments, 2) alternative medicine treatments and 3) integrative treatments.

Conventional medicine treatments

Herpes treatments, based on conventional medicine^[4], use so-called systemic antiviral agents: Acyclovir, Valacyclovir and Famciclovir, whose respective trade names are Zovirax, Valtrex and Famvir.

Valacyclovir is more effective in treating genital herpes in women than in men and Famciclovir is recommended in patients suffering from genital herpes with compromised immune system.

Although antiviral agents are marketed in creams and ointments, their use is more effective in tablets and injections. On the genitals you should not use creams due to their high water content; if you opt for a topical treatment, you should use an ointment.

Initial treatment therapy is usually used to relieve symptoms after the initial diagnosis and may range from 7 to 10 days. In addition to relieving symptoms, this therapy may help prevent symptoms from getting worse and contribute to faster healing.

Intermittent treatment therapy is used to prevent the immune system from compromising during an outbreak, is used in patients with recurrences of mild herpes (up to six outbreaks per year), and lasts 2 to 5 days.

Suppressive treatment therapy is applied in patients with frequent recurrences to minimize herpes outbreaks, has a prophylactic function and can last up to one year.

Systemic antiviral agents are often expensive. It is estimated that a 10-day intermittent therapy with Acyclovir in USA costs about 130 USD and a one-year suppressive therapy with Valacyclovir costs about 1100 USD.

Alternative medicine treatments

Vaginal herpes and vulvar herpes treatments based on alternative medicine are very varied and rely primarily on the use of natural products or on mind and body practices.

Treatments based on natural products use medicinal herbs, essential oils, vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements.

Treatments that rely on mind and body practices include acupuncture, ozone therapy, and relaxation techniques.

Chinese medicine differs from occidental medicine; Chinese doctors concentrate on the patient, not on the disease because they think that eliminating the disease is not enough to cure the patient.

Acupuncture has proven to be a very effective treatment against many diseases. There are medical experiments according to which applying this technique can strengthen the immune system.

Integrative treatments

Integrative treatments for herpes on vagina and herpes on vulva combine conventional medicine with alternative medicine.

The Ultimate Herpes Protocol is embodied in a book in English that has been translated into Spanish and French.

This treatment definitively removes the herpes virus from your body in less than 60 days and has been structured in three stages, each of which has a specific function.

The first stage is aimed at strengthening your immune system, the second is designed to destroy the protective protein layer of the virus and the third and final stage is where the final blow is given to the virus preventing its reproduction.

The Ultimate Herpes Protocol has no harmful effects on your health and you can download the book in English from its official site.

If you are a Spanish speaker you can download the book in Spanish from this link.

For those who speak French, the book in French is available on this webpage.

Vulvovaginal herpes and pregnancy [↑]

If you have vulvovaginal herpes, you can get pregnant. The virus is not hereditary.

Transmission does not occur through the bloodstream; it is only possible through contact with areas infected with the virus.

The danger of spreading to your baby is at birth, if you have a herpes outbreak at that time.
Remember that the virus can be present in the vagina even if you don’t have an outbreak, so remind your doctor about your condition around the time of delivery.

Final notes about herpes on the vagina and herpes on vulva [↑]

Herpes on vagina and herpes on vulva are sexually transmitted diseases caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 or herpes simplex virus type 2.

Once the virus infects the host, it can remain in his or her body without causing outbreaks, although the virus can be activated and spread to other people or other parts of the host’s body.

Vaginal herpes and vulvar herpes can be treated using systemic antiviral agents which do not remove the virus from your body and have possible harmful side effects on your health. As an integrative treatment we recommend “The Ultimate Herpes Protocol” which has been shown to be effective in thousands of patients.

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