Sexually Transmitted Disease
The Child Abuse Team at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center provides the following table as a guide for health care professionals in interpreting laboratory test results for Herpes Simplex Virus, types I and II.
| Infection Sites | Vagina, penis, anus, mouth |
Incubation Period
and Symptoms | Painful ulcers occur within two weeks following contact. Reactivation of the infection often occurs and results in ulcers at or near the site of primary infection. |
| Transmission | The most common infection in children is gingivostomatits, an infection of the mouth. It is not transmitted sexually. Infection of the genitalia or infection around the anus may be due to sexual contact. Non-sexual transmission is also possible. |
| Diagnostic Tests | The diagnosis can be made based upon the appearance of the ulcers. The virus can be cultured if the diagnosis is in question. Type I and type II both cause genital and peri-anal ulcers. Identification of the virus type does not differentiate sexual from non-sexual transmission. |
