Herpes Simplex Virus
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Herpes Simplex Virus key facts
Herpes Simplex Virus
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is caused by HSV-1, which causes oral herpes infections, such as cold sores and fever blisters, and HSV-2 which causes genital herpes. Both HSV-1 infections and HSV-2 infections can cause oral or genital areas.
Here, we will take a closer look at the causes, symptoms, and how to prevent the transmission of the herpes simplex virus infection.
What is Genital Herpes?
Genital herpes is an STI (sexually transmitted infection) caused by the herpes simplex virus. The two types of herpes simplex virus are Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).
Transmission of Genital Herpes
Genital HSV is transmitted through physical contact from one person to another during sex. HSV-2 is spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person. However, HSV-1 can also be contracted through oral sex, leading to a genital herpes infection.
Genital herpes is highly contagious and can be contracted even when the infected person does not show signs or symptoms. The virus will enter your body through broken skin or through mucous membranes in the mouth or genital area. The risk of contracting the infection is still highest however during a herpes outbreak, when genital sores and lesions are visible.
Transmission of the virus occurs when you come into direct contact with herpes sores, saliva, or infected genital fluids. Skin-to-skin contact with the active infection can also lead to transmission.
To prevent the spread of genital herpes:
- Use condoms during sexual intercourse
- Use dental dams during oral sex
- Limit your number of sexual partners
- Avoid sexual activity during outbreaks
- Do not share lip balms, razors, or other utensils
Talk to your sexual partner(s), open communication is crucial when it comes to your sexual health. Regular screening is also essential to help detect an infection and prevent its spread.
Symptoms of Genital Herpes
Symptoms will vary from person to person. Some people may have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, making it difficult to diagnose. Symptoms tend to be more severe during the first outbreak and may include:
- Pain or itching around the infected area
- Red bumps that blister around the genitals, anus, or mouth
- Blisters bursting causing painful ulcers and open sores
- Crusts forming over lesions
- Flu-like symptoms, such as headache, fever, body aches, and swollen lymph nodes. This is more common during the first outbreak
Recurrent outbreaks and prodromal symptoms
Symptoms tend to appear within a few days to a couple of weeks after first exposure, with further outbreaks being milder and of shorter duration when compared to the first episode. Some people may experience genital pain, tingling, or shooting pain in the legs, hips, or buttocks a few days or hours before an outbreak occurs. Speak to a healthcare provider if you think you have genital herpes or any other sexually transmitted infection.
Diagnosis of Herpes Simplex Virus
The diagnosis of herpes simplex virus is typically made through a physical examination and laboratory tests. Healthcare providers may perform viral culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or blood tests to detect the presence of the virus or antibodies against it.
Treatment options for Genital Herpes
While there is no cure for genital herpes, various treatment options can help manage symptoms and reduce the frequency and severity of outbreaks, and lower the risk of transmission. Antiviral medicines, such as acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir, are commonly prescribed to individuals to alleviate symptoms and shorten the duration of recurrent outbreaks or severe symptoms.
Self-care can also help relieve the discomfort and pain during outbreaks.
- Keep the affected area clean and dry
- Wear loose-fitting clothing
- Avoiding irritants and scented products
- Use paracetamol, naproxen, or ibuprofen to relieve pain
- Use numbing cream containing benzocaine or lidocaine
Management and prevention strategies
You can reduce the risk of transmission using the tips below:
- Regular screening for STIs
- Maintaining good sexual health practices
- Communicating openly with your sexual partner
- Practicing safe sex
- Avoid sexual contact when herpes sores are visible
- Maintaining good personal hygiene
- Washing your hands regularly and not touching sores to prevent their spread
- Getting enough rest
- Eating a well-balanced diet
- Managing your stress levels
With proper management, you can control your symptoms allowing you to lead a healthy and fulfilling life.
Complications associated with Genital Herpes
Herpes simplex is not normally life-threatening, but it can lead to complications in anyone who has a weakened immune system. Potential complications include:
- Increased risk of transmitting or contracting other infectious diseases such as HIV
- Encephalitis or meningitis
- Risk of neonatal herpes during childbirth, if the baby is exposed to HSV, leading to serious health issues or death. Pregnant women should let their healthcare provider know if they have genital herpes to reduce the risk of transmission
- Inflammation and swelling of internal organs associated with sexual activity and urination
- Finger infections (herpetic whitlow), which can cause discoloration, swelling, and sores of the fingers
- Eye infections (herpes keratitis), resulting in pain, sores, blurred vision, and potentially blindness
Risk Factors for Herpes Simplex Virus
These factors include:
- Sexual contact without the use of a barrier, such as a condom or dental dam
- Multiple sex partners, increasing the risk of exposure
- Having STIs in the past, which have weakened the immune system
- Being sexually active from an early age
- Being from a low socioeconomic status, where you may have limited access to healthcare and education
Women, those with a history of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), the elderly, and men who have sex with other men, have a higher risk of contracting genital herpes. People from these high-risk groups are encouraged to have open conversations with their healthcare providers about their risks and the preventive measures they should take.
Herpes Simplex Virus and other infections
The herpes simplex virus is part of the herpesviridae family, which also includes the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles.
Research in the treatment of Herpes
Research in the treatment of genital herpes aims to improve its management and prevention. Current research includes new antiviral medications, vaccines, and alternative therapies to improve the effectiveness of current treatments and develop a cure.
Conclusion
Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus. While there is no cure, understanding the causes, symptoms, and risks of contracting genital herpes is essential to help relieve symptoms, reduce outbreaks, and reduce the risk of its spread.
You can reduce your risks by speaking to a healthcare provider, practicing safe sex, using self-care measures, talking openly with sexual partners, and having regular screening for STIs to manage genital herpes and maintain your general health.
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Service Guide
Everything you need to know about Getting Treated Privately
What does the Get Treated Privately service do?
The Get Treated Privately service is a private prescribing service which is designed for adults aged 18 years and over, who are experiencing health issues and who would like to receive a fast-track assessment and if applicable, a treatment plan from a qualified prescribing clinician. Treatments are dispensed and delivered to your home or workplace from our regulated online pharmacy.
Is this a safe service?
Yes. Our formulary of medications prescribed and conditions treated are controlled, governed, and continuously risk-assessed by our Medical Director, Dr. Aseel Hamoud. Unlike other prescribing services which operate using faceless questionnaires, our service is conducted through remote video consultations, also known as synchronous consultations. This builds patient safety and prescribing appropriateness into our service, ensuring our prescribing clinicians can be satisfied with who and what they are treating. There is no guarantee of supply of medications, and any prescriptions supplied are at the sole discretion of our clinician prescriber. There is no charge for the consultation.
What is a prescribing clinician and is it safe for me to use them on the NowPatient platform?
Our prescribing clinicians are board-certified pharmacists, nurses, or doctors who can also prescribe any medicine for any medical condition, subject to accepted accreditation and good clinical practice. They are all registered with their respective regulatory bodies. For example, a pharmacist independent prescriber is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Each prescribing clinician undergoes an extensive background check including a disclosure and barring service check (DBS). In addition, they undergo a rigorous license verification process. When you book an appointment with our prescribing clinicians you will see their full name, license number, and any specialized credentials they have.
Is the service available worldwide?
Yes, the Get Treated Privately service is available worldwide.
Do I need to pay for this service?
Yes. This is a private service. You do not need to pay for the consultation. You only pay for the cost of the medication you are prescribed.
How do I book a consultation?
Once you have logged into your account, you will need to navigate to the Get Treated Privately quick action widget which is located at the bottom of your dashboard. You can then select one of the following actions – ‘Search Treatments’ or ‘Search Conditions’.
Depending on the search type, you will be taken to a consultation booking screen. You will then need to select a date and time that is convenient for you, along with the preferred language of the prescribing clinician you wish to choose. You will then see a list of all available clinicians. From this list, you can filter clinicians by gender and then select the clinician you would like to confirm for your booking.
Once you have approved this, you will see a summary of the appointment including preliminary information about the consultation. At this point, you will also be able to add a reminder to your calendar. Always ensure your account health profile is up to date before any consultation. This ensures that our clinicians have the most up-to-date information about your current health status and anything that may influence their prescribing decisions. You will receive a push notification and email reminding you of your consultation, 30 minutes before it is due to start.
You can ‘star’ the Get Treated Privately quick action widget to have it display in the ‘My Favourite Widgets’ section of your dashboard, for ease of future booking or checking active or past orders.
What happens during the remote video consultation?
During the consultation, the clinician will ask you a series of questions that will allow the clinician to diagnose your health condition and consider possible treatment options. At the end of the consultation, the clinician will decide if a treatment plan is a safe and appropriate option for you.
If it is, the clinician will discuss the various treatment options that may be available, so that you can jointly agree on the option that is most suited to you. Once you have jointly agreed on a treatment plan, the clinician will issue a prescription order which will be available in your ‘shopping cart’ at the end of the consultation.
Also, with your consent, the clinician may wish to inform your GP of the treatment that was prescribed. We recommend that you agree to this since your GP is responsible for your overall care and they should have a record of this consultation and medication prescribed. In addition, our clinician may take the opportunity to advise you on your overall health including advice on healthy living or stop smoking.
What happens at the end of the consultation?
At the end of the consultation, you will receive a notification which will summarise the outcome. It will also advise if any referrals were made to your GP, along with any other advice that was given to you by the clinician.
If a GP referral letter was issued, you will be able to view a copy of this in the ‘My Documents’ section of your dashboard.
If you were prescribed a treatment plan, it will now be available in your shopping cart. When you go to your shopping cart, you will be able to checkout and make payment. Once the checkout is complete, your prescription order will be sent to our regulated online pharmacy for processing.
What if the prescriber does not prescribe what I want?
We operate a safe and effective service. This means that our prescribing clinicians always exercise their clinical judgment when prescribing. Unfortunately, we do not operate a service where you can demand a certain medication. If you are not prescribed anything, then you will not be charged.
Will I get status updates for my order?
Yes. When you place an order with NowPatient, we will keep you fully updated with the status of your order. Every time the status of your order changes, you will be notified immediately. These notifications will appear in your ‘My Notifications’ section on your dashboard. You can click the notification and it will take you to your active orders screen which will give you a timeline overview of the progress of your order. This can also be accessed using the ‘My Orders’ quick action widget which is on your dashboard. Here, you can access active and past orders.
How will my order be delivered?
All orders are shipped in discreet and unmarked packaging. This means it is suitable for delivery wherever you require (home, work, or a neighbour). For thermo-sensitive orders (e.g. Insulin or weight loss injections) we use cold chain-validated packaging. Your parcel will normally receive an estimated delivery window from the courier on the day of delivery.
For your protection and safety, your first order can only be delivered to the address that is registered with NowPatient. Future orders can be delivered to any other address, for example, your workplace.
Do you ship cold-chain or temperature sensitive products?
Yes. We use a specialist courier service for all thermo-sensitive deliveries. This is to ensure that cold chain integrity is always maintained and thus the product quality, safety and efficacy.
Learn more about how we handle the delivery of temperature sensitive products.
Where do you deliver?
We currently deliver to all postcodes/zipcodes worldwide. Some postcodes in rural areas may have a slightly longer delivery time.
When will my order arrive?
- UK – Royal Mail Tracked 24 & Signed for Delivery – Next day delivery
- Europe – Royal Mail Tracked – Typical delivery of 3-5 working days
- Worldwide – Royal Mail – Typical delivery of 5-7 working days. If a tracked option is available for your country via Royal Mail, this service will be applied.
What should I do if my order has not arrived?
Delivery is normally made promptly after your dispatch notification is received. You can check the tracking details of your order in the ‘My Notifications’ section of your dashboard, at any point after dispatch.
Unfortunately, packages can sometimes get lost in the delivery system, if after 10 days you have not received your delivery, please contact us and we will do all we can to resolve the problem.
Can you prescribe GLP-1 weight loss injections?
Yes. However, with GLP-1 weight loss medications, the license requires that there are support resources put in place as part of the plan including coaching for a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and diet. Our clinicians will discuss this with you, if you are prescribed this type of treatment.
You can learn more on our Weight Loss Programs feature page.
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Everything you need to know about video consultations
Are remote video consultations right for me?
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Do I need to verify my identity during the remote video consultation?
Can I have a chaperone (carer, friend, family member) join a remote video consultation?
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Will my doctor be informed of any consultations I have through the app?
Do remote video consultations save money for health systems?
Are remote video consultations safer than online questionnaires?
What quality of care can I expect to receive from a remote video consultation?
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NowPatient has offices in the United Kingdom and United States.
In the UK, we are located at:
NowPatient
28 Chipstead Valley Road
Coulsdon
Surrey
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NowPatient
8911 North Capital of Texas Highway
Suite 4200 #1263
78759
Austin, TX
How can I contact NowPatient?
To contact NowPatient, please use the contact form available on the Contact Us page.
Alternatively, if you need to speak to us, you can reach us on the following numbers:
UK telephone number – 020 388 51 500
US telephone number – 1-866-967-1977
Who owns NowPatient?
NowPatient is owned and operated by Infohealth Ltd, a licensed online pharmacy with services spanning the UK, US and Rest of the World. Infohealth Ltd is registered in England and Wales under company number 04004930 and our registered office is at Lynwood House, 373 – 375 Station Road, Harrow, England, HA1 2AW.
Our website is www.nowpatient.com. Our App is called “NowPatient” and can be downloaded from the App Store (for Apple devices) or Google Play (for Android devices).
Can you tell me more about your NHS online pharmacy?
NowPatient’s Pharmaceutical services in the UK are provided by Infohealth Limited trading as ‘Infohealth Pharmacy’.
Our dispensing pharmacy is regulated and authorized for internet sales by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), registration number 1036487. You can view our license credentials on the General Pharmaceutical Council website. Our superintendent pharmacist who is responsible for the safe and effective oversight of medicines supplies is Mr Amish Patel (Registration Number 2042705).
Medicines are not ordinary items of commerce. All medicines or healthcare product sales are made under the supervision of a registered pharmacist who is licensed by the GPhC. At all times, we endeavour to provide a professional and transparent service whose primary goal is to ensure that the best interests of the patient are served.
How do I make a complaint?
From time to time, we accept that our service levels may not be up to your expectations. NowPatient welcomes concerns, compliments and complaints as valuable feedback that will help us learn from your experiences and make improvements. Feedback can be provided via our clear and transparent Complaints Procedures.
Can you tell me more about NowPatient’s prescribing services for treatments offered?
Our prescribing services are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). We provide the following regulated activity:
• treatment of disease, disorder, or injury
• transport services, triage, and medical advice are provided remotely
• caring for adults over 65 years old
• caring for adults under 65 years old
NowPatient prescribing services are run by Infohealth Limited. The Clinical Safety Officer and nominated individual is Mr Navin Khosla.
Can you tell me more about NowPatient’s US services?
Our head of US services is Dr. Jamie Winn.
You can lower the cost of your prescription medications using our various savings programs which include drug coupons, savings card and manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.
We do not provide any prescribing services or dispensing services in the United States.
Is NowPatient legit and can I trust information from NowPatient?
Yes. NowPatient provides trustworthy and accessible clinical, health education and prescription services. We are also trusted by the NHS to deliver clinical and NHS repeat prescription dispensing across the whole of England. In the United States, we work with over 65,000 pharmacies to deliver considerable costs savings for our users.
NowPatient is operated by experienced licensed medical professionals in the United Kingdom and United States. Our Medical Team can be found here.
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Please note that we are closed at weekends.
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In the event of a medical emergency which is not life-threatening please call:
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