Herpes and HIV

If you are sexually active, in a non-monogamous relationship or have multiple sex partners, then you are at great risk of catching sexually transmitted diseases like Herpes and even HIV. People with HIV should take more precautions because they are even more susceptible to acquiring infectious diseases like genital herpes and the complexity in treating two contrasting diseases may become even more complicated because of their ties to the immune system.

Why is it Complicated?

Treatments for either infection have a tendency to counteract because both diseases affect the immune system. By itself, the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) is not life threatening. There are numerous ways of managing the virus and people who have been infected cope well with herpes remedies.

HIV on the other hand is already a difficult disease by itself. It is life threatening and complications from the virus result in other diseases as well. People with HIV have fragile immune systems. They are susceptible to infections and even the slightest exposure to bacteria and virus can lead to full blown infections.

A person with HIV and who then contracts genital herpes will find that it is hard to treat and will take longer to recover as he/she goes through the stages of herpes during a breakout due to a weak immune system. More frequent flare ups and even more severe outbreaks of the virus are expected in these cases. An HIV infected person will lack the components needed to fight back all types of infections most especially herpes which is highly contagious. Fighting herpes will exhaust the immune system.

HIV, as we all know, impairs our immune system, opening our body furthermore to infections, bacteria and viruses. The virus messes up the body's ability to produce anti-bodies. On the other hand, for herpes to be effectively managed, it needs a strong immune system so that flare-ups and outbreaks can be prevented.

The Complication

Studies have shown that people undergoing chemo treatment and experiencing auto-immune deficiencies have a harder time fighting off HSV attacks. This is due to the body having a hard time responding to the treatment of HSV. Cases like these are treated differently. Aside from the difficulty in treatment methods, people with HIV find that their lesions take a longer time to heal not to mention that they are even more painful. Aside from outbreaks in the genital area, there is the possibility of the sores spreading to the other major organs of the body like the throat, eyes, lungs and even the brain.