Question

A case study of a female with a viral infection of the Genitourinary system

In 2006, a 19-year old female I’ve been friends with for years called me in a panic

one summer evening here in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She felt bumps in her genital area

while inserting a tampon into her vagina. She made an appointment at her clinic

immediately after her period was over. She did some research before her appointment

and had an idea about what she may have, she was scared to death. Other than the bumps

she felt and later observed in a mirror (they were flesh colored) she had no signs or

symptoms. Since she practiced safe sex regularly with all but one of her past 2

boyfriends she thought she knew from whom she became infected. I accompanied my

friend per her request to her appointment where she had a colposcopy, Pap smear, and a

urine test to determine what was going in her body. The results from her tests were given

to her that same day.

The nurse practitioner told my friend that just because she had unprotected sex

with her last ex-boyfriend does not necessarily mean that he is who infected her. Since

the incubation time varies, and most people don’t develop symptoms she could have been

infected by a previous partner and been in the dormant state physically manifesting after

the fact. She received an acid treatment to essentially burn off the “bumps” which she

said was painful, and the nurse practitioner told her that her immune system should clear

the infection from her body within two years. She was also told to make sure she

scheduled a follow up appointment 6 months from that day to ensure she hadn’t

developed any changes in her cervical cells.

Questions:

1.

What is the diagnosis and the causal agent?

2.

How many serotypes of this virus? How many infect the genitals?

3.

What are possible complications for females and for males?

4.

How many women die from this disease each year?

5.

How is this disease transmitted?

6.

Can it be prevented? How? Explain.

7.

What are the treatments?

Answer 1

1. Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) according to the symptoms, like, one can have pain, itching and sores in genital area or no signs or symptoms as well and it can lie dormant in body and can reactivate several times a year.

2. There are two serotypes of herpes simplex virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-2 generally causes sores in genitals thus it is called genital herpes.

3. Common symptoms in men and women are sores on buttocks, thighs, mouth,and urethra.

Women can have sores in or on vaginal area, cervix or external genitals.

Men can develop sores in or on the male genital organ and outer scrotum.

4. The death rate changes every year but it is around 0.69 to 0.80 per 100000.

5. Genital herpes can transmit through kissing, sex, oral sex and through genitals. Genital herpes does not spread from towels, clothings, in eating together etc. Direct skin-to-skin contact and intimate sexual contact with an infected person are the primarily reasons for transmission of this disease.

6. It can be prevented by-

1. Don't sex during herpes outcome or with a partner who has sores on his or her genitals.

2. Use condoms everytime you do sex.

3. Ask your partner if he or she has ever had a sexually transmitted disease and about sexual history.

4. Don't receive oral sex from somebody with a cold sore.

7. Treatments- Initially antiviral therapy, intermittent and suppressive treatment followed by acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir), and valacyclovir (Valtrex).

Thanking you