health.yahoo.com
Quote:
The first-time (primary) outbreak of HSV often starts with painful itchy blisters on the penis or on the vulva (the area surrounding the opening of the vagina). The blisters rupture and turn into oozing shallow sores that take up to 3 weeks to heal. A primary outbreak may also include flulike symptoms, such as fever, headache, and muscle aches; painful urination; and abnormal discharge. However, most people who become infected with HSV have no symptoms, or the symptoms are so mild that they do not recognize that they are infected. The incubation period—the time from exposure to genital herpes until the primary outbreak of infection—is 2 to 14 days.
After the primary outbreak, the herpes simplex virus remains in the nerve cells below the skin in the area where the sores first appeared. The virus becomes inactive, causing no symptoms. In most people, the virus becomes active from time to time, traveling from the nerve cells to the skin and causing repeated blisters and sores (recurrent outbreaks).
Sores from recurrent outbreaks usually heal faster and are less painful than those from the primary outbreak. However, genital herpes infections can be severe in people with impaired immune systems, such as people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Factors such as stress, illness, a new sex partner, or menstruation may trigger recurrent outbreaks.