Herpes is the cold sore virus but is most commonly called herpes when talking about the STI which is a different form of the virus but still the same virus. Once it is in your body it will never leave so if you get 1 cold sore you will carry on getting them forever. Similarly if you catch genital herpes you will carry it for ever and will often get itchy scabs on your genitals.
Herpes is a family of viruses, including notably the herpes simplex virus (HSV), a group of viral infections, most commonly:
Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1): causes cold sores and fever blisters in and around the mouth. Herpes simplex type 2 (HSV2): causes genital herpes, a sexually transmitted disease characterised by sores in the genital area.
Both these types of herpes can cause systemic disease, including the brain infection encephalitis in someone who is immunodeficient. They are contagious - via direct skin contact with an infected person - and currently incurable. But they can be treated by anti-viral medication and there are prevention methods, notably condom use. Lip protectants such as lip gloss have also been recommended as a prevention measure.
Other varieties of the HSV virus include neonatal herpes simplex - a rare, serious consequence of HSV transmission between mother and newborn baby - and ocular herpes, an infection that affects the nerves serving the cornea of the eye.
There are eight members of the herpes virus family known to cause human disease. In addition to HSV, they include the varicella-zoster virus, which causes both chickenpox and shingles.
Herpes can often look like blisters but sometimes they appear as a simple rash, redness, or small cuts on the genitals. They are often mistaken for other conditions when it doesn't appear as blisters Heres a whole bunch of herpes pictures. They are not for the weak stomach though.
