In general, speaking about sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) is sort of a mood-killer. However, the term"herpes" in particular invokes a unique type of panic and paranoia. Although genital herpes is somewhat common (it's the 5th most frequent STI in Singapore). Is there a cure for herpes?
No, there is not and that's why it's highly stigmatized.
But is there no vaccine or cure for one of the most feared (and ordinary ) STIs? And have we gotten any closer to finding one?
Here's what we discovered later chatting with experts.
What's herpes?
Oral is brought on by herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), also is the virus that causes cold sores. People with oral herpes typically get the virus as children by kissing relatives or friends.
By contrast, genital herpes is brought on by the herpes simplex virus Type two (HSV-2), which is typically transmitted via rectal, anal, or oral intercourse. HSV-2 has symptoms like an outbreak of blisters on the genitals or rectum, but a lot of men and women may also be asymptomatic. Genital herpes may also be caused by HSV-1 during oral sex.
Why is there no remedy for herpes?
Presently, there's no cure for HSV-1 or even HSV-2, although people with both types of herpes can take antiviral medications like Valtrex to control their symptoms and lower their risk of transmitting the virus to their partners.
For the last 80 decades, yet, scientists have been researching potential herpes vaccines. (Note: although"treatment" and"vaccine" are sometimes used interchangeably, they're not the same. In the event of herpes, a cure would fully eliminate the herpes virus in your body, though a vaccine would treat or stop it.)
So 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 also a curative one, that would help manage symptoms in people who already have the illness and decrease the risk of outbreaks better compared to current antifungal drugs on the market. Yet they have had little luck.
The herpes virus can be very complicated
According to Dr. Anna Wald, the mind of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Section in the School of Medicine at the University of Washington, herpes is just one of many sexually transmitted viruses which scientists don't fully understand.
"We do not have a cure for a lot of things," she says, citing HIV and hepatitis as other examples.
Most viruses attack cells and attempt to multiply as soon as they enter our bodies. Many times, our immune systems can clear viruses out of our own bodies, meaning we're not infected.
But herpes is far much more complicated than this, says Wald. Herpes"has figured out just how to live from the host regardless of the immune response," she clarifies.
Unlike other viruses, herpes hides at the central nervous system, and our immune system can not easily access this area of our own bodies, Wald says. To make things even more complicated, the virus may lie dormant at our central nervous systems for an extended period of time (this is the reason individuals with herpes may go several months without any flare-ups after an initial outbreak, or have no symptoms at all).
The fact that our immune systems don't find out how to shield us from herpes makes it extremely tough for scientists to create a preventive vaccine. "It's rather difficult to make a vaccine if you don't know what type of immune response you are attempting to create to protect somebody," Wald says. Unlike other viruses such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), for example, researchers cannot inject a portion of the herpes virus into our bodies because of vaccine, which makes them create an antibody that fights back and prevents disease.
As for therapeutic vaccines, they would need to be substantially better compared to current antiviral medications are at reducing the likelihood of outbreaks and transmission, states Dr. Hunter Hansfield, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of Washington Center for AIDS and STDs. Luckily, current antiviral medications can already decrease the recurrence of outbreaks by roughly 70 per cent, based on American Family Physician.
How near are we to a successful herpes disorder?
In 2016, it appeared as if we were on the cusp of a herpes vaccine when the bioscience company Genocea announced that it had finished phase two clinical trials to get a therapeutic vaccine called GEN-003.
But lack of funds killed the undertaking, a company spokesperson clarified to MensHealth.com. The business is currently focusing primarily on cancer study.
Can we ever get a herpes disease?
Not for a long time, at least: at the moment, there are no promising clinical trials underway for a herpes vaccine.
Hansfield believes it's unlikely that researchers might soon develop a herpes vaccine which would totally eliminate the virus from somebody's system.
As for a preventive vaccine,"I'd be surprised if there had been a HSV vaccine available on the marketplace which prevents herpes under 10 years," he says.
The Way to Safeguard Yourself from herpes
Besides not having sex, there's no 100% effective way to reduce herpes. It's possible to decrease the chance of contracting the disease using a condom, but even a condom is not foolproof, as the virus can be transmitted even if your partner does not have any visible sores.
Nevertheless, if your partner has herpes, then taking antiviral medications can significantly decrease the chances of transmission.
If you display any of these symptoms of genital herpes, such as cracked, red sores around the genitals or anus, then ask your physician for a blood test to detect HSV antibodies. Even if you test negative, regular STI screening is important for everyone who is sexually active, and also free and cheap testing tools are found on the CDC's web site.