Does herpes mean you have HIV?
Are people with genital herpes at increased risk of getting infected with HIV? Yes, studies show that HSV-2 infection increases the risk of getting HIV infection.
People who have genital herpes sores are more likely to be infected with HIV during intercourse. When you develop a sore, the immune system tries to heal it, so there are many immune cells concentrated in that spot. Those are the cells that HIV infects. If HIV in semen, vaginal fluid, or blood comes in contact with a herpes sore, the risk for infection is high.
Even when there are no symptoms of genital herpes. HSV-2 infection can cause tiny breaks in the genital and anal area that allow HIV to enter into the body. Herpes infection also attracts the type of cells that HIV infects (“target cells”) to the genital area. This increases the chance of getting HIV, if exposed.
Have herpes & feel alone? Meet nearby people with herpes
PositiveSingles is one of the most popular dating websites for people suffering from herpes and other STD. It was initiated in 2001. With 1,510,800+ members you are sure to find lots of potentail people around you.
Join and meet nearby people with herpes, browse profiles and chat now!
The Compound Effect of Genital Herpes and HIV
HIV and the genital herpes virus are a troublesome duo. One can worsen the effects of the other. Research shows that when the herpes virus is active, it may cause HIV to make more copies of itself (the process called replication) than it would otherwise. The more HIV replicates, the more of the body's infection-fighting cells it destroys, eventually leading to AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
People infected with both HIV and the herpes virus may have longer-lasting, more frequent, and more severe outbreaks of herpes symptoms, because a weakened immune system can't keep the herpes virus under control as well as a healthy immune system can.
Why genital herpes boosts the risk of HIV infection?
A team led by Dr. Lawrence Corey and Dr. Jia Zhu of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Dr. Anna Wald of the University of Washington sought to understand why genital herpes boosts the risk of HIV infection even after treatment with oral acyclovir and the healing of genital lesions.
In the experiments, the scientists found that HIV replicates 3 to 5 times as quickly in cultured tissue from the sites of healed HSV-2 lesions as in cultured tissue from control sites.
These results suggest that HSV-2 lesions create an ideal scenario for the rapid spread of HIV infection. Other sexually transmitted infections may create a similar cellular environment favorable to HIV infection, potentially explaining why sexually transmitted infections are general risk factors for HIV.
Can treating genital herpes decrease the risk for HIV infection?
No. Studies show thattreating with herpes medications does not lower the risk of getting HIV.
Have herpes & feel alone? Meet nearby people with herpes
PositiveSingles is one of the most popular dating websites for people suffering from herpes and other STD. It was initiated in 2001. With 1,510,800+ members you are sure to find lots of potentail people around you.
Join and meet nearby people with herpes, browse profiles and chat now!
Know more facts about living and dating with herpes:
- How to have a fulfilling sex life with herpes
- What is your chance of spreading herpes?
- Fear transmission? Try herpes dating sites
- How to handle dating when you have herpes
- How to tell your partner you have herpes
- Overcome the stigma of herpes
- Herpes and getting pregnant: How to protect your baby
- Herpes and HIV
- Do condoms prevent herpes? How likely is it to get herpes with a condom?