Herpes genitalis

It begins with a tingling, a burning, a pulling — at a place that could not be more intimate. Then come the blisters. Painful, sensitive, laden with shame. Herpes genitalis is a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus, and medicine treats it with antiviral medications that can shorten and alleviate outbreaks. This treatment is important and appropriate — it belongs at the beginning, not at the end.

But there is an observation that almost every affected person shares: the outbreaks do not come randomly. They come in phases of stress, of emotional strain, of inner tension. The virus sleeps in the body and awakens when the immune system is weakened — and the immune system weakens not only through lack of sleep or colds, but also through psychological pressure. Through something that is simmering beneath the surface.