Female Herpes and Menstruation

The link between herpes and menstruation is a common one that is related to the impact that the process has on the immune system of the woman.
Genital herpes, caused commonly by the Herpes Simplex Virus –2 (HSV-2), is a sexually transmitted disease.  Most commonly the infection occurs on the vagina or the penis but it can also occur on the buttocks, anus, thighs or mouth, lips or face if the person practices oral sex.

The virus that usually causes the sores along the mouth and lips is the HSV-1 virus but with the variations of sexual activity the virus found above the waist isn’t always HSV-1 and the virus found below the waist isn’t always HSV-2.

The virus will infect the body through an open area in the skin or through the mucus membranes of the mouth or genital area.  A person can shed the virus even when they don’t have an active lesion so practice of safe sex should always include a barrier method.

The virus causes an initial infection or stomatitis and then retreats back into the body along the nerves.  Once there is a trigger the condition will continue to reappear consistently.  The person may experience remissions that last months, or even years, if they learn their individual triggers and avoid them.

If a person does suffer a recurrence, then the subsequent outbreaks are shorter and less severe than the initial outbreak.  When subsequent outbreaks occur there are usually warning signs (medical term –prodromal symptoms) – that include burning, itching, tingling or pain.

One such trigger for many women are the fluctuations in hormone levels that happen each month through the menstrual cycle.  These hormone fluctuations will impact the immune system and thus may trigger a herpes outbreak.

Recent studies also indicate that stress and anxiety can also trigger an outbreak and result in recurrences.  Many women find that their menstrual periods are stressful and produce anxiety because of the hormonal influence on their emotions as well as potential physical problems they may experience such as endometritis, pain, or bloating.

Studies have also shown that the prevalence is 25% of the US population has genital herpes but that the majority of those people don’t recognize the symptoms or don’t have symptoms.  Even if people don’t have symptoms of the disease they are still able to transmit the virus to others during sexual activity.

Some women may find relief from herpes and menstruation with the use of oral birth control pills to control the fluctuations of hormones during the month as well as control menstrual cramping that can increase the stress level of the woman.

The link between herpes and menstruation is a common one that is related to the impact that the process has on the immune system of the woman.  Aside from oral birth control pills there aren’t other ways to control the negative effect on the immune system.  Woman who want to improve their chances of not having an outbreak of herpes and menstruation should look to improving their immune system through good nutrition, sleep and exercise.

The potential exists that when the immune system is able to fight the virus adequately when provided with the necessary tools the changes to the body during the menstrual process won’t cause an outbreak.

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