As many as 80% of the population in North America has HSV-1 - that's an astounding figure. The interesting part however, is that there is far less stigma attached to HSV-1, therefore there is less care taken by carriers to inform others of their condition, or abstain from high risk activities when experiencing an outbreak.  Carriers should really be avoiding kissing and engaging in oral sex when they are experiencing symptoms as this is when the virus is most contagious.

An important thing to note with regards to Herpes transmission, is the care that needs to be taken when around babies and small children. At this stage in their life, the body has yet to fully develop protective mechanisms to help defend against the Herpes virus. It is therefore crucial to avoid kissing babies when you have an outbreak, and also to ensure you practice extreme personal hygiene standards if you are to be handling babies or small children - always wash your hands with warm soapy water for 30 seconds or more before you hold a child or baby.

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An outbreak can be identified as sores or lesions on the skin which appear similar to blisters. They are raised above the surface and contain a highly contagious liquid. Over the course of one to four weeks, the bisters begin to dry and form a scab on the surface of the skin. This is a classic sign of herpes.

It can often be a painful or irritating condition. The more frustrating thing about herpes however, is that while the symptoms disappear it doesn't actually mean the virus is gone altogether. At this point in time there is no cure, and herpes actually remains in the body in a dormant state, even when symptoms aren't visibly present. It is often triggered into an active state in times of stress or when the immune system is weak. A carrier of herpes will therefore experience a number of outbreaks during their lifetime.  The good news however, is that outbreaks usually get progressively less and less frequent, and the symptoms each time are less and less severe.

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The second phase is when visible symptoms can be noticed. These are present in the form of small blisters or lesions in the genital area, which are filled with a highly contagious liquid. The area can be quite itchy and or painful at this time and it is important that you resist itching the area as you will be more likely to pass the virus onto another person, or even to another location on your body. Always wash your hands if you think you may have touched the contagious area.

The final stage is where the outbreak is beginning to heal. It does this by drying out the lesions and forming a scab on the surface of the skin, while new skin develops underneath. It is still important at this stage to allow the body to continue healing itself naturally and avoid the temptation to itch or pick the scab.

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• Itching and burning are commonly experienced in the genital area
• Sores and/or blisters soon follow
• Headaches, fever, irritability and flu-like symptoms are also common
• Many women also noticed a dull pain in their pelvic area and down one of their legs right before an outbreak occurs. It is important to note that any sign of an outbreak means that the carrier is extremely contagious at this point. It is only when symptoms subside that there is less chance of passing the virus onto another person.
• The final stage of an outbreak is the sores or lesions beginning to dry. They will often leave a scab on the surface of the skin which will eventually fall off. There is little chance of scarring.

For more information on herpes and how you can still live a normal life, even with the virus, why not download our e-book which has everything you need to know? Click here for more information now!