Generally speaking, talking about sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) is kind of a mood-killer. However, the word"herpes" in particular invokes a special sort of anxiety and paranoia. Although genital herpes is quite common (it is the 5th most frequent STI in Singapore). Is there a treatment for herpes?
No, there isn't and that is why it's highly stigmatized.
And have we gotten any closer to discovering one?
Here's what we found later conversing with experts.
What is herpes?
There are two chief kinds of herpes: oral herpes and genital herpestreatment. People with oral herpes typically get the virus as children by kissing family members or friends.
By comparison, genital herpes is brought on by the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), which is normally transmitted via rectal, anal, or oral intercourse. HSV-2 has symptoms like an outbreak of blisters around the genitals or anus, but a lot of people can also be curable. Genital herpes may also be brought on by HSV-1 via oral sex.
Why are there no treatment for herpes?
Presently, there's absolutely no cure for HSV-1 or even HSV-2, although individuals with both kinds of herpes can take antiviral medications like Valtrex to control their symptoms and lower their chance of transmitting the virus to their spouses.
For the past 80 decades, yet, scientists are researching possible herpes vaccines. (Note: Although"treatment" and"vaccine" can be used interchangeably, they are not the same. In the event of herpes, then a remedy would totally eliminate the herpes virus in the human body, though a vaccine would treat or stop it.)
Thus far, scientists have attempted to create two types of herpes vaccines: a preventative one, which protects you from getting infected in the first place; and a curative one, which would help manage symptoms from people who have the disease and decrease the risk of outbreaks greater than present antiviral medications on the industry. Yet they have had little luck.
The herpes virus can be extremely complex
"We don't have a remedy for a lot of things," she says, citing HIV and hepatitis along with other instances.
Most viruses attack our cells and try to multiply once they enter our bodies. In conclusion , our immune system releases dead cells and antibodies to neutralize the virus and make it less harmful. Often, our immune systems may clear viruses from our bodies, meaning we're not infected.
But herpes is far more complex than that, '' says Wald. Herpes"has figured out how to reside in the host despite the immune reaction," she explains.
To make matters even more complicated, the virus may lie dormant at our central nervous systems for a protracted time period (this is the reason people with herpes can go several months with no flare-ups after an initial outbreak, or have no signs at all).
The fact that our immune systems do not know how to protect us from herpes causes it extremely tough for scientists to create a preventative vaccine. "It's rather tricky to earn a vaccine if you don't know what type of immune response you're trying to create to protect somebody," Wald says. Unlike other viruses like the human papillomavirus (HPV), for instance, researchers cannot inject part of the herpes virus into our bodies as a vaccine, which makes them develop an antibody that fights back and prevents disease.
In terms of therapeutic vaccines, they'd have to be significantly better than current antifungal drugs are in lessening the likelihood of transmission and outbreaks, says Dr. Hunter Hansfield, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of Washington Center for AIDS and STDs. Fortunately, current antiviral medications can already decrease the recurrence of outbreaks by about 70 percent, based on American Family Physician.
How close are we to a prosperous herpes vaccine?
In 2016, it seemed like we had been on the cusp of a herpes vaccine once the bioscience firm Genocea announced that it had completed phase 2 clinical trials to get a therapeutic vaccine named GEN-003.
But lack of funding killed the undertaking, a company spokesperson explained to MensHealth.com. The company is now focusing primarily on cancer study.
Will we ever get a herpes vaccine?
Not for quite a while, at least: at the present time, there aren't any promising clinical trials to get a herpes vaccine.
Hansfield believes it is unlikely that investigators might soon develop an herpes vaccine which would completely eliminate the virus out of someone's system.
As for a preventive vaccine,"I'd be amazed if there was a HSV vaccine available on the market that prevents herpes under 10 years," he says.
The Way to protect yourself from herpes
Aside from not having sex, there is no 100% effective means to prevent herpes. It is possible to cut the chance of contracting the infection using a condom, but even a condom isn't foolproof, since the virus can be transmitted even when your spouse does not have any visible sores.
Nevertheless, if you or your partner has herpes, even taking antiviral medications can significantly lower the odds of transmission.
If you exhibit any of these symptoms of genital herpes, such as cracked, red sores around the genitals or anus, then ask your doctor for a blood test to find HSV antibodies. Even if you test negative, regular STI screening is very important to anybody who's sexually active, and free and low-cost testing tools can be found on the CDC's web site.