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What Are The Symptoms?

Genital herpes most often appears as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. When these blisters burst they leave the tender sores known as ulcers. The first time a person has a herpes outbreak, the ulcers may take two to four weeks to heal. The next outbreaks may not occur for weeks or months. When they do, they usually are less severe than the first outbreak. Herpes infection doesn't go away, but the outbreaks tend to become less frequent over time.

Symptoms also include:

• Numbness, tingling, or burning in the genital region.
• A burning sensation while urinating or having intercourse.
• Painful urination or a frequent need to urinate.
• Watery blisters in the genital area.

Many people experience warning signals up to 48 hours before an outbreak. These may consist of tingling, itching, or pain at the site of the eruption, or pain running down into the buttocks or to the knees.

A doctor can diagnose genital herpes by looking at the outbreak and by taking a sample from the sores. There are also blood tests for HSV-1 and HSV-2, although they don't always give clear results.