Herpes

Cold sores, genital herpes, lookalikes and testing for HSV-1 and HSV-2.

16 guides

Can Herpes Be Dormant or Spread With No Symptoms?Yes, herpes can lie dormant and can spread without sores. What asymptomatic shedding is, how risk changes, and ways to lower it.
Can You Get Herpes From a Toilet Seat, Towel or Shared Drink?Herpes spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact, so toilet seats are very unlikely. What about towels, shared drinks and vapes? What's realistic and what isn't.
Can You Get Herpes From Kissing or Oral Sex?Yes, herpes can spread through kissing and oral sex. How HSV-1 and HSV-2 differ, when risk is highest, and how to lower it without giving up intimacy.
Cold Sores vs Herpes: What Is the Difference?Cold sores are herpes, usually caused by HSV-1. How oral and genital herpes differ, why a cold sore is not a character flaw, and what testing can tell you.
Do Condoms Prevent Herpes?Condoms lower the risk of herpes but do not remove it, because the virus can spread through skin a condom doesn't cover. What helps, what doesn't, and how to lower risk.
Herpes Blood Test vs Swab: Which Is Accurate and When?Herpes swab (PCR) versus blood test: what each can show, when each works best, why blood results can be confusing, and how to decide which one you need.
Herpes in the Vagina: Symptoms, Pictures in Words and TestingWhat genital herpes can feel and look like for people with a vagina, where sores can appear, how it is tested, and what to know if you're pregnant.
Herpes on the Tongue, Throat or Roof of the MouthCan herpes cause sores on the tongue, gums, roof of the mouth or throat? How it differs from a canker sore, what a first infection can look like, and how it is tested.
Herpes or Ingrown Hair? How to Tell the DifferenceIs that bump an ingrown hair or herpes? What each can look and feel like, how razor bumps and folliculitis fit in, and which test gives a real answer.
Herpes or Pimple? How to Tell the DifferenceIs that bump herpes or just a pimple? The signs that point each way, what to watch over the next few days, and which test gives a real answer.
Herpes Sores Around the Buttocks or Anus: What to KnowGenital herpes can cause sores around the anus and nearby skin. What painful sores can look like, why a swab gives the clearest answer, and when to get seen.
Herpes vs Genital Warts vs Yeast InfectionHerpes, genital warts and yeast infections can look and feel alike. How they differ in pain, itch, appearance and timing, and which test gives a real answer.
How Long After Exposure Do Herpes Symptoms Show Up?How long herpes symptoms usually take to appear after exposure, why many people never notice any, and why a first outbreak can come some time after infection.
How Long Does a Herpes Outbreak Last?How long a first herpes outbreak and later outbreaks usually last, per MedlinePlus, NHS and CDC, the stages sores go through, and when to see a clinician.
Lysine and Herpes: What the Evidence SaysDoes lysine help with herpes or cold sores? What a Cochrane review found, what CDC and WHO recommend instead, and when to ask a clinician first.
What Does Herpes Look Like? Stages ExplainedHow herpes sores usually look at each stage, where they appear on the body, what else can look similar, and which test gives the most reliable answer.