Hesperian Health Guides
Sores on the Genitals (Genital Ulcers)
HealthWiki > Where Women Have No Doctor > Chapter 16: Sexually Transmitted Infections and Other Infections of the Genitals > Sores on the Genitals (Genital Ulcers)
Contents
Common causes of sores on the genitals
Most sores or ulcers on the genitals are sexually transmitted. Sometimes the sores from syphilis and chancroid look alike. For this reason, you may be treated with medicines that cure both of these STIs. Sores on the genitals should be kept clean. Wash them every day with soap and water, and dry carefully. Do not share the cloth you use to dry yourself with anyone else.
Syphilis
Syphilis is a serious STI that spreads during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It can also be passed during pregnancy to a baby. Over time it will affect the whole body. It is caused by bacteria and can be cured with medicine if treated early. Rapid tests for syphilis are becoming more available, including a test for both HIV and syphilis using a drop of blood from a finger prick.
Signs:
The first sign is a small, painless sore that looks like a bump until it breaks open into a sore. It usually appears in the genital area but may also appear on the mouth or anus. If the sore is inside the vagina, it might not be noticed.
If you have ever had an open sore on your genitals that was not treated, try to get a blood test for syphilis. Some countries have free testing programs. Syphilis can still be treated even after the sore has gone away.
The sore lasts a few days to a few weeks and then goes away by itself. Weeks or months later, you might get a rash (especially on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet), sore throat, mild fever, or mouth sores. Any strange rash or skin condition that shows up days or weeks after a sore on the genitals may be from syphilis. Get tested and treated quickly.
Even if you have no signs, you can still pass syphilis to others. Without treatment, syphilis can cause heart disease, paralysis, mental illness, and even death.
If you are pregnant, it is important to get a blood test for syphilis.
Pregnancy and syphilis. Anyone who is pregnant should be tested for syphilis and treated so it does not pass to the baby. Syphilis can cause babies to be born too early, with disabilities, or dead (stillbirth). If you get tested for HIV or another STI, a health worker will often test you for syphilis too.
Medicines to treat Syphilis | ||
|---|---|---|
| Benzathine benzylpenicillin is the most effective medicine to treat syphilis. Only use one of the others if benzathine benzylpenicillin is not available or if the person is allergic to penicillin. | ||
| Medicine | How much | How to use |
| benzathine benzylpenicillin | 2.4 million Units | inject into muscle 1 time only |
| or doxycycline (do not use if pregnant and avoid using it if breastfeeding) | 100 mg | by mouth, 2 times a day for 14 days |
| or erythromycin | 500 mg | by mouth, 4 times a day for 14 days |
| Only use this if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and allergic to penicillin. It will treat the syphilis in the person taking it, but after the birth the baby will need additional treatment. | ||
Chancroid
Chancroid is an STI caused by bacteria. It can be cured with medicine if it is treated early. Sores from syphilis and chancroid can look the same, but if the sore is painful and bleeds easily, it may be chancroid.
Signs:
- one or more soft, painful sores on the genitals or anus that bleed easily
- enlarged, painful glands (lymph nodes, buboes) may develop in the groin
Medicines to treat Chancroid | ||
|---|---|---|
| If there is chancroid in your region and you are not sure if a person has chancroid or syphilis, it is best to treat for both. Use one medicine from âMedicines to treat Syphilis,â above. Then choose one medicine to treat chancroid. If using erythromycin to treat syphilis, do not choose azithromycin or erythromycin to treat chancroid. | ||
| Medicine | How much | How to use |
| azithromycin | 1 gram | by mouth, 1 time only |
| or ceftriaxone | 250 mg | inject into muscle, 1 time only |
| or ciprofloxacin | 500 mg | by mouth, 2 times a day for 3 days |
| Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding or under age 16. | ||
Genital herpes
Herpes virus can cause sores on the mouth (cold sores), also called oral herpes. Kissing or sharing something from mouth to mouth are common ways oral herpes spreads. Oral herpes can become genital herpes if passed from the mouth to the genitals during oral sex.
Genital herpes that is not treated can make getting HIV more likely. If you have HIV, genital herpes outbreaks may be harder to manage. Talk to an experienced health worker.
Genital herpes is an STI caused by a virus. It produces sores on the genitals that come and go for months or years. Herpes spreads when skin touches skin, as between sexual partners. It can spread even when you cannot see a sore, but is more likely to spread when there is a sore. When sores appear, it is called an outbreak.
There is no cure for herpes, but treatment can make outbreaks shorter and less painful, and make it less likely you will spread the infection to sexual partners.
Signs:
- tingling, itching, or painful skin on the genitals or, less commonly, the thighs
- small blisters that burst and form painful, open sores on the genitals (an outbreak)
The first time you get herpes sores, they can last for 3 weeks or more. You can have a fever, headache, body ache, chills, and swollen lymph nodes in the groin. Outbreaks afterwards tend not to be as bad as the first one.
Pregnancy and herpes. Having herpes sores in the vagina during birth can pass herpes and health problems to the baby. If you have your first outbreak during pregnancy, get treated immediately. If you already had genital herpes and have an outbreak while pregnant, using treatment during your last month of pregnancy can reduce your risk of passing herpes to the baby during birth. It may be best to have the baby in a hospital in case you need a cesarean section (c-section).
Wash your hands with soap and water after touching the sores.
Be careful not to touch your eyes or your childrenâs eyes. A herpes infection in the eyes is very serious.
Herpes spreads most easily when there are sores, even when condoms are used. If you have herpes sores, avoid sex until they have healed. When a person who has herpes has no sores, safer sex and using condoms make it less likely herpes will pass to others.
If you have painful herpes or other genital sores, try these ways to feel better:
- Wrap a piece of ice in a clean cloth. Hold it on the sore for 20 minutes as soon as you feel the sore developing.
- Make a compress by soaking some cloth in clean water that has black tea in it and put it on the sore.
- Sit in a pan or bath of clean, cool water.
- Mix water and baking soda or corn starch into a paste and put it on the sore area.
- You can also try these suggestions.
Medicines to treat Herpes
For a first-time outbreak, take 400 mg acyclovir by mouth 3 times a day for 7 to 10 days.
If you have had a herpes infection before, start taking the same medicine as soon as you notice any signs of tingling, burning, or sores, but for only 5 days.
If you have had more than 6 herpes outbreaks in 1 year, talk with an experienced health worker to see if taking acyclovir for a longer period will help.
Although acyclovir cannot cure herpes, it makes outbreaks shorter and less painful, and reduces your risk of passing herpes to partners during sex.