Treatment

There's no cure for genital herpes. Treatment with prescription antiviral medications may:

• Help sores heal sooner during an initial outbreak
• Lessen the severity and duration of symptoms in recurrent outbreaks
• Reduce the frequency of recurrence
• Minimize the chance of transmitting the herpes virus to another

Antiviral medications used for genital herpes include:

• Acyclovir (Zovirax)
• Valacyclovir (Valtrex)

Your doctor may recommend that you take the medicine only when you have symptoms of an outbreak or that you take a certain medication daily, even when you have no signs of an outbreak. These medications are usually well-tolerated, with few side effects.