“5 Incurable STDs & How To Stay Healthy If You Have One”

Learning you have a sexually transmitted infection or disease is never ideal, particularly when you find out you’ve contracted one whose outlook is all too grim. While there’s no cure for some STDs, treatment options may be available to lessen or alleviate symptoms.

When it comes to your sexual health, there’s no better time to play it safe. Here are five incurable STDs, and the best treatment options for each.

1. Herpes Simplex

Herpes is a untreatable but manageable skin condition that gets into and lives in your nerves. It’s super prevalent: nearly everyone has the virus by the end of their lives. There are two types — the more common HSV-1 usually lives in or around your mouth (and is usually called cold sores), while HSV-2 prefers your genital region. However, each can live in the other place as well.

You can have the herpes virus inside you and not even know it (it’s estimated that 20 to 30 percent of people who have herpes are unaware), but if you do get symptoms, they will be in the form of tiny, fluid-filled blisters that burst and leave behind painful ulcers that take one to three weeks to heal. Luckily, this only happens occasionally.

Also luckily, you can take daily medication to suppress herpes symptoms. Taking this suppressive antiviral medication can reduce outbreaks by up to 80 percent, and in many people suppresses outbreaks altogether.

Other people only take meds when they feel an outbreak coming on, which is usually preceded by feelings of tingling, burning, itching, or pain.

Suppressive medications have been shown to diminish the risk of spreading the virus to other humans. So while you’re not cured, if you’re taking your medication as your doctor prescribes, you’re pretty close to living herpes-blister-free and protecting your loved ones.

There are also some non-medical things you can do to minimize herpes outbreaks and manage your symptoms. These include supplements and herbs, special diets, and minimizing your stress.

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