Genital and oral herpes are caused by a virus called herpes simplex virus. The virus can cause small, painful sores (often called cold sores) on the genitals (genital herpes) or around the mouth (oral herpes). Herpes can be spread from genitals to genitals, mouth to genitals and genitals to mouth.

Often times a person can be infected with herpes and not have any symptoms. Or they may have mild symptoms that are mistaken for something else. When someone does have typical symptoms, they begin as blisters that then become sores, which are usually oozing and very painful. These sores can appear anywhere around the mouth, genitals or anus. During the first "outbreak" of sores, they typically dry up and heal in about 12 days. Later on, outbreaks are generally shorter and milder. A person may feel a tingling sensation around the area of the skin right before sores appear and may have a low-grade fever.

A person is most contagious when the sores are visible, but the virus can also spread from the skin even when there are no sores on the lips, mouth or genitals. A person who experiences an outbreak of sores should not have sex, kiss or share drinking glasses or lip balm. Condoms and latex barriers can also be effective, as long as they cover the area of skin where sores are (or were) present.

The herpes virus stays in a person's body forever, and outbreaks of sores can happen throughout life. Sometimes after a while, a person will stop getting outbreaks, but the virus is still in his or her body and can still be passed to another person. There's no cure for herpes, but there are highly effective medicines that can help reduce the pain, control the number of outbreaks, shorten the length of outbreaks and lower the risk of passing herpes to a sexual partner. A doctor can prescribe the medicine.

For more information, log on to the National Herpes Resource Center or iwannaknow.org. Or call the National Herpes Hotline at 1-919-361-8488 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., EST).

You can also check out this Sex, Etc. story, "A Painful Lesson: Anyone Can Get Herpes."