A reader asked the editor privately, “Does contracting genital herpes affect a person’s lifespan?”
Objectively speaking, contracting genital herpes does not affect lifespan.
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), mainly infecting the genital and anal area mucous membranes. It is a degenerative disease, with the most severe symptoms and longest duration during the initial outbreak, which then gradually eases with time, with a reduced frequency of recurrence. Its impact on individuals diminishes over time.
Furthermore, while genital herpes cannot be cured, it only manifests in specific areas and does not cause significant harm to the body. Patients can reduce the viral load in their bodies, alleviate symptoms, shorten the course of the disease, and reduce the frequency of outbreaks by using antiviral medications or medical devices such as valacyclovir and topical gels. As a result, the harm of genital herpes to the body is minimized, and it does not affect the patient’s lifespan.
However, it is worth noting that genital herpes may cause some complications, such as herpes encephalitis, herpes meningitis, herpetic keratitis, and herpetic eczema, among which herpes encephalitis and herpetic eczema can be life-threatening and cause serious harm to the body.
It can be said that once complications arise, they will to some extent affect the patient. If not handled properly, it may very likely impact the patient’s lifespan.
Setting aside the possible complications, objectively speaking, the answer is quite clear – contracting genital herpes does not affect the patient’s lifespan.
However, where there are objective factors, there are corresponding subjective factors. Subjectively, the answer to this question becomes ambiguous. The patient’s attitude towards genital herpes determines the answer.
If a patient is so anxious about genital herpes that they cannot eat or sleep well, it is unavoidable that it will affect their lifespan. A troubled mind is hard to cure; if a person believes they are beyond help, it will be difficult for them to live long!
In contrast, if a patient maintains a positive attitude, actively seeks treatment after contracting genital herpes, adopts healthy habits, avoids staying up late, refrains from drinking and smoking, exercises regularly, pays attention to diet, and maintains good health, it’s obvious that this patient will live longer.
Therefore, we can also understand that the most important thing after contracting genital herpes is attitude. We can suppress the virus in the body through medication or medical devices to reduce recurrences. But when it comes to attitude, it’s all up to you!
