In general, speaking about sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) is kind of a mood-killer. However, the term"herpes" in particular invokes a particular sort of panic and paranoia. Although genital herpes is somewhat common (it is the 5th most common STI in Singapore). Is there a remedy for herpes?
But why is there no vaccine or cure for a few of the most dreaded (and frequent ) STIs? And have we gotten any closer to finding one?
Here is what we found after conversing with experts.
What is herpes?
There are two main types of herpes: oral herpes and genital herpes. Oral is brought on by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), and is the virus which 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 2 (HSV-2), that is typically transmitted via anal, vaginal, or oral sex. HSV-2 has symptoms such as an outbreak of blisters on the genitals or anus, but a lot of people may also be curable. Genital herpes can also be caused by HSV-1 during oral sex.
Why is there no treatment for herpes?
Presently, there's no cure for either HSV-1 or HSV-2, though people with both types of herpes may take antifungal medications such as Valtrex to control their symptoms and lower their risk of transmitting the virus to their spouses.
For the past 80 years, however, scientists have been exploring potential herpes outbreaks. (Note: although"treatment" and"vaccine" are sometimes used interchangeably, they're not the same. In the case of herpes, a cure would fully eliminate the herpes virus in the human body, while a vaccine would cure or block it.)
Thus far, scientists have tried to create two types of herpes meds: a preventative one, which protects you from getting infected in the first place; and also a curative one, which might help manage symptoms from people who have the disease and lower the risk of outbreaks greater compared to current antifungal drugs available on the industry. Yet they have had little luck.
The herpes virus is extremely complex
"We don't have a cure for a great deal of things," she says, mentioning HIV and hepatitis as other cases.
Most viruses attack our cells and attempt to multiply after they enter our bodies. Frequently, our immune systems may clear viruses from our bodies, meaning we are not infected.
But herpes is more complex than that, '' says Wald. Herpes"has figured out just how to live from the host regardless of the immune response," she explains.
Unlike other viruses, herpes hides in the central nervous system, and our immune system can not easily access this region of our own bodies, Wald states. To make matters even more complicated, the virus may lie dormant at our central nervous systems for an extended time period (this is the reason people with herpes may go several months with no flare-ups after a first outbreak, or have no signs at all).
The simple fact that our immune systems do not know how to protect us from herpes causes it extremely tough for scientists to make a preventive vaccine. "It's very tricky to create a vaccine unless you know what kind of immune response you're attempting to create to protect someone," Wald says. Unlike other viruses such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), for example, researchers can't inject a portion of the herpes virus into our own bodies as a vaccine, making them create an antibody that fights back and prevents disease.
As for therapeutic vaccines, they would need to be considerably better compared to current antiviral medications are at lessening the chances of outbreaks and transmission, states Dr. Hunter Hansfield, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of Washington Center for AIDS and STDs. Fortunately, present antiviral medications can already lower the recurrence of outbreaks by about 70 percent, based on American Family Physician.
Just how close are we to a thriving herpes disorder?
Back in 2016, it appeared like we were on the cusp of a herpes vaccine when the bioscience firm Genocea declared that it had finished phase two clinical trials to get a therapeutic vaccine named GEN-003. Research demonstrated that herpes sufferers were 65 percent less likely to get outbreaks after getting the vaccine and have been 60 per cent less likely to transmit the virus to their partners.
But lack of funding killed the project, a company spokesperson clarified to MensHealth.com. The business is presently focusing primarily on cancer research.
Can we ever get a herpes vaccine?
Not for quite a while, at least: at the present time, there aren't any promising clinical trials underway for a herpes vaccine.
Hansfield believes it is unlikely that researchers might soon develop an herpes vaccine which would totally eliminate the virus from someone's system.
In terms of a preventative vaccine,"I'd be surprised if there has been a HSV vaccine on the marketplace that prevents herpes in under 10 years," he states.
The Way to Safeguard Yourself from herpes
Besides not having sexual intercourse, there's no 100% effective way to reduce herpes. It is possible to cut the probability of contracting the infection using a condom, however even a condom isn't foolproof, since the virus may be transmitted even if your partner does not have any symptoms.
That said, if your partner has herpes, taking antiviral medications can significantly reduce the chances of transmission.
If you exhibit any of the signs of genital herpes, for example cracked, or red sores around the genitals or anus, then ask your physician for a blood test to find HSV antibodies. Even in the event that you test negative, routine STI screening is important for anybody who is sexually active, and free and affordable testing tools can be found on the CDC's web site.