Is there a cure for genital herpes?

Currently, there is no cure for either oral herpes or genital herpes, though people with both types of herpes can take antiviral medications like Valtrex to control their symptoms and reduce their risk of transmitting the virus to their partners.

One in six people in the United States aged 14-49 have acquired genital herpes through HSV-2. The CDC states that the overall genital herpes statistic is likely to be higher, thanks to the possibility of getting HSV-1 in the genital region. Taking that into account, genital herpes statistics are often quoted at around 25 percent for women and 10 percent for men in the U.S. The craziest thing: most people don’t know they have it!

With so many people carrying the herpes simplex virus (HSV), why is there nothing to combat it? Researchers have been looking for a cure and a vaccine for decades. Even with the focus being mostly on a vaccine, they haven’t been able to find anything.

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Why is there no cure for herpes?

let’s talk about “cure” and “vaccine”. It’s important to note the difference between a vaccine and a cure. A cure, obviously, would heal a person already carrying the virus. Whereas a vaccine is like installing a harmless set of instructions for the body so it knows how to eliminate the virus in case it comes into contact with the body later. A cure eliminates and a vaccine prevents.

The thing is, herpes is unlike other viruses that have once been fatally common. The virus is different from, for example, the measles virus because measles will make you sick quite quickly as the immune system reacts to its arrival and then is more prepared for the virus should it appear in the future.

A viable herpes vaccine could certainly provide a lucrative financial windfall for the company that develops it. However, no company has developed a commercially ready vaccine despite some concerted efforts.

It is difficult to develop a vaccine

The herpes virus is more complicated and more evasive than most infections. So, developing a vaccine has been a difficult task.

Most viruses attack our cells and attempt to multiply as soon as they enter our bodies. In response, our immune system releases white blood cells and antibodies to neutralize the virus and make it less harmful. Often, our immune systems can clear viruses out of our bodies, meaning we're no longer infected.

Unlike other viruses, herpes hides in the central nervous system, and our immune system can't easily access this area of our bodies. The virus can lie dormant in our central nervous systems for an extended period of time (this explains why people with herpes may go several months without any flare-ups after an initial outbreak, or never have any symptoms at all). It makes it hard to develop a vaccine because you don’t know what the target is. How are your mini soldiers going to defeat the virus if it’s impossible to see them and not even within arms reach?

The herpes virus has more complicated DNA than most infections and has ways to go undetected by our immune system, much like many cancer cells do. Since vaccines work by stimulating the human immune system, this makes it more difficult to develop an inoculation for herpes.

Experimental treatment: Gene editing

Scientists have also been looking into something called, “gene editing.” Gene editing, or genome editing, is a way of making specific changes to the DNA of a cell or organism. Unfortunately, there are many drawbacks to using this method. Some edits work for a bit but don’t last long. Other techniques supply a gene as spare parts and it also works for a little while also but isn’t permanent. It’s currently impossible to control exactly where in the DNA the gene is inserted. The negatives do outweigh the positives, especially due to the fact it can result in cancer.

How can you manage herpes right now?

As the world struggles to find a cure for this virus, we’re left searching for other resources. Once people become infected with herpes, they will always carry the herpes virus. However, in most cases, outbreaks of herpes become fewer and weaker over the course of a few years.

People who have recurrences outbreak can take certain medications to help manage the infection. Using herpes treatments can speed up the healing of sores and prevent them from returning frequently. Some herpes treatments also decrease the likelihood of passing the virus on to someone else.

If diagnosed with herpes, your doctor will likely ask how often you get outbreaks and how bad the sores are. This helps you get prescribed a treatment according to your situation.

Here are three different options you may be offered:

Initial treatment: If you have sores present when you’re diagnosed with herpes, you will usually be given a brief course of seven to ten days of antiviral therapy to make them go away or stop them from worsening.
Intermittent treatment: You may be prescribed an antiviral drug that you can take as soon as you notice sores or when you feel them coming. The sores themselves will always disappear on their own, but taking antivirals can lessen the symptoms and help speed up the healing process. Again, this doesn’t mean herpes has been healed, just the sores.
Suppressive treatment: Those with frequent breakouts may need to take an antiviral drug on a daily and ongoing basis. This process is called suppressive therapy. A benefit of using these medications is that when you aren’t experiencing sores or other symptoms, the therapies have been shown to reduce the risk of transmitting it to a partner. Remember, herpes is extremely contagious so suppressive therapy is a good way to keep the virus to yourself.