What are the symptoms of genital herpes in women during the incubation period?

Although genital herpes is more common in men, it can also occur in women. Moreover, once this type of disease occurs, it will cause great harm to the body if it is not treated in time. However, many people are not aware of the symptoms that the body will experience before contracting this type of disease. Let’s take a closer look at the symptoms of the incubation period of genital herpes in women.

1. Initial symptoms of genital herpes

1. An average of about 4 to 5 days after genital herpes infection, there will be a burning sensation in the vulva, followed by the development of papules in groups, which may be one or more clusters, followed by the formation of blisters.

2. After a few days, it will evolve into pustules, which will rupture and form erosions, causing pain.

3. Skin lesions often occur on the foreskin, glans, coronal sulcus and penis of men, and occasionally at the urethral opening. In women, it occurs on the vulva, labia majora and minora, clitoris, vagina, and cervix, and can also occur in the anus and other parts of the body.

2. Symptoms of Genital Herpes Recurrence

1. It often occurs within 1 to 3 months after primary genital herpes.

2. About 60% of patients relapse within one year after the first infection, and the number of attacks in the first year is 4 to 6 times, or even more than 10 times.

Recurrent genital herpes may be accompanied by sacral radiculopathy, which manifests as pain or paresthesia in the buttocks or thighs, urinary retention, and erectile dysfunction. Other complications include proctitis, prostatitis, urethritis syndrome, etc.

3. Recurrent genital herpes often recurs within 1 to 4 months after the primary infection. The clinical manifestations of recurrent genital herpes during the latent period are similar to those of primary herpes, but the symptoms are milder, the rash is smaller in area, and the course of the disease is shorter. It usually heals itself within a few days. 1 to 2 days before recurrence, there are often prodromal symptoms such as local itching or burning sensation. The vast majority of patients with recurrent genital herpes seen clinically are male, and female patients often do not seek medical treatment because the symptoms of genital herpes during the incubation period are not obvious. Relapses are associated with fever, menstruation, sun exposure, cold, and certain viral infections.