Sexual Health Screening

Genital herpes is a common infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It causes painful blisters on the genitals and the surrounding areas.

As genital herpes can be passed to others through intimate sexual contact, it’s often referred to as a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

HSV can affect any mucous membrane (moist lining), such as those found in the mouth (cold sores).

Genital herpes is a chronic (long-term) condition. The virus remains in your body and can become active again. The average rate of recurrence is four to five times in the first two years after being infected. However, over time, it tends to become active less frequently and each outbreak becomes less severe.

Read more about the symptoms of genital herpes.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease. 

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name used to describe a number of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen when your immune system has been severely damaged by the HIV virus.

While AIDS can’t be transmitted from one person to another, the HIV virus can.

There’s currently no cure for HIV, but there are very effective drug treatments that enable most people with the virus to live a long and healthy life.

With an early diagnosis and effective treatments, most people with HIV won’t develop any AIDS-related illnesses and will live a near-normal lifespan.

These pages cover:

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Living with

Prevention

Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by a virus that’s spread through blood and body fluids.

It often doesn’t cause any obvious symptoms in adults and typically passes in a few months without treatment. But in children, it often persists for years and may eventually cause serious liver damage.

Hepatitis B is less common in the UK than other parts of the world, but certain groups are at an increased risk. This includes people originally from high-risk countries, people who inject drugs and people who have unprotected sex with multiple sexual partners.

A hepatitis B vaccine is available for people at high risk of the condition.

This page covers:

Symptoms of hepatitis B

When to get medical advice

Treatments for hepatitis B

How hepatitis B is spread

Preventing hepatitis B

Outlook for hepatitis B