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If you’ve already been diagnosed with genital herpes by a GP or sexual health clinic, antiviral tablets can make an outbreak shorter and less painful, especially if you start them at the first tingle. Complete a confidential online consultation and a GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber will check that treatment is safe and suitable for you.
Genital herpes is a common infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. It can’t be cured, but outbreaks can be treated, and they usually become milder and less frequent over time.
Genital herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1, which also causes cold sores) or type 2 (HSV-2). It’s passed on by skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal or oral sex, including when there are no visible sores. After the first infection the virus stays in the nerves and can reactivate, causing tingling, then small blisters or sores. Many people have mild symptoms or none at all. Our guide to HSV-1 and HSV-2 explains the difference.
You can use this service if you’re 18 or over and genital herpes has been confirmed by a GP or sexual health clinic, usually with a swab from a sore. If you think you’re having a first outbreak, please see a sexual health clinic: a swab confirms the diagnosis, rules out other causes of genital sores, and a full STI check can be done at the same visit. Our first outbreak guide explains what to expect.
Both are antiviral tablets that stop the herpes virus multiplying. They work equally well; the difference is how often you take them.
| Treatment | Form | How it works | Suitable for | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aciclovir 400mg | Tablet | Antiviral that stops the herpes virus multiplying | One tablet three times a day for 5 days (15 tablets) | £17.99 |
| Valtrex (valaciclovir) 500mg | Tablet | Turned into aciclovir in the body, so fewer doses are needed | One tablet twice a day (10 tablets) | £34.99 |
Not sure which is right for you? The prescriber will advise.
Tell us when and where you were diagnosed, about your outbreaks, your health and any medicines you take. It takes a few minutes.
A GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber checks that treatment is safe and suitable, and may message you with questions.
If approved, it’s dispensed by our UK pharmacy and sent in plain packaging. Keep it ready so you can start at the first sign of an outbreak.
See a GP or sexual health clinic instead of using this service if any of these apply. You may need an examination, a swab or a different treatment.
Genital herpes is very common and often misunderstood. Here are the facts.
FACT: Many people with herpes have mild symptoms they don’t recognise, or none at all. That’s why many people don’t know they have it, and why it can be passed on without anyone realising.
FACT: Most people with genital herpes have normal relationships and sex lives. Avoiding sex during outbreaks, using condoms and telling partners all reduce the risk of passing it on. Daily treatment from a GP or clinic can reduce it further
FACT: The virus can be present on the skin without symptoms (“asymptomatic shedding”). The risk is highest during outbreaks and in the first year after infection, and falls over time.
Antiviral tablets work best started early. These steps help with discomfort while the sores heal.
Bathe the area with plain or salt water to keep it clean. - Hold an ice pack wrapped in a flannel against the sore area; never put ice directly on the skin. - Petroleum jelly, or a numbing cream such as 5% lidocaine from a pharmacy, can make peeing less painful. Wash your hands before and after applying it. - If peeing stings, try pouring water over your genitals while you pee, or peeing in a warm bath. - Paracetamol or ibuprofen can ease pain, if they’re suitable for you. - Wear loose cotton underwear, and avoid touching the sores.
Don’t have sex, including oral sex, from the first tingle or itch until the sores have completely healed. Outbreaks usually become milder and less frequent over time; our guide to herpes recurrences explains common triggers and what helps.
Changed from the current version: “Stay well-hydrated and get adequate rest to support your immune system” is removed, and the “more than 6 per year” line now sits in Section 4 with a route to the GP.
Treating an outbreak is one part of looking after your sexual health. Check whether any of these apply to you.
Herpes is most easily passed on during an outbreak, from the first tingle until the sores have healed, but it can also be passed on when you have no symptoms. You can lower the risk by: - avoiding sex during outbreaks; - using condoms between outbreaks (they reduce the risk a lot, but don’t cover all the skin); - not having oral sex if you have a cold sore; - telling partners, which in studies has been linked with a lower risk of passing it on.
Daily antiviral treatment roughly halves the risk of passing HSV-2 to a partner (BASHH). We don’t supply daily treatment online, but your GP or sexual health clinic can discuss it. Our guide to telling a partner has practical advice on starting that conversation.
Aciclovir and Valtrex are prescription-only medicines in the UK. Before anything is prescribed, a GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber reviews your consultation, including your kidney health and any other medicines you take. Drink plenty of fluids while taking them, and always read the patient information leaflet in the pack. Don’t share your tablets, even with a partner who has herpes; each person needs their own assessment. If you think you’ve had a side effect, tell a pharmacist or doctor. You can also report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme (yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk).
Your consultation is confidential. We only contact your GP if you agree, and we never contact your partners. Access Doctor is a private service. NHS sexual health clinics diagnose and treat genital herpes free of charge across the UK, and you don’t need a GP referral: - England: find a clinic on the NHS website; - Scotland: NHS inform; - Wales: Sexual Health Wales (Frisky Wales); - Northern Ireland: nidirect.
If you’re under 25, Brook also offers free, confidential sexual health support. The Herpes Viruses Association offers information and support for people living with herpes.
Sexual health is about more than treatment. If anything about how you got this infection doesn’t feel right, you can talk to someone in confidence, at any age.
That might be the case if: - sex happened when you didn’t want it, or when you were too drunk or high to agree; - a partner controls who you see, checks your phone, or pressures you into sex or into not using condoms; - someone gives you money, gifts, drugs or somewhere to stay in return for sex; - someone else is arranging this treatment for you and you’d rather they weren’t.
None of this is your fault, and you can still get treated.
You can tell our prescriber in the consultation, and they’ll help you find support near you. Or contact one of these free, confidential services directly:
Rape and sexual abuse (England and Wales): 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, 0808 500 2222
Rape and sexual abuse (Scotland): Rape Crisis Scotland, 08088 01 03 02 (6pm to midnight)
Domestic abuse: - England: National Domestic Abuse Helpline, 0808 2000 247 (24 hours) - Scotland: Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline, 0800 027 1234 (24 hours) - Wales: Live Fear Free, 0808 80 10 800 (24 hours) - Northern Ireland: Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline, 0808 802 1414 (24 hours)
Men: Men’s Advice Line, 0808 801 0327
Under 25s: Brook (brook.org.uk)
Someone to talk to: Samaritans, 116 123 (24 hours)
If you were assaulted recently, a sexual assault referral centre (SARC) can give you medical care, emergency contraception and HIV prevention medicine. Seeing a SARC doesn’t mean you have to report to the police. If you’re in immediate danger, call 999.
What happens, why it’s often the worst, and getting a diagnosis.
Read guideWhy outbreaks come back, common triggers and how to treat them early.
Read guideHow the two antivirals compare, and which suits you.
Read guideThe two types of herpes simplex virus, and what your type means.
Read guideHow to start the conversation, and lowering the risk of passing it on.
Read guideThe risks to your baby, and the care you’ll be offered.
Read guideAnswers about treatment, outbreaks, partners and living with herpes.
Yes, if you’re 18 or over and genital herpes has already been confirmed by a GP or sexual health clinic. You complete a confidential online consultation, and a GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber checks whether treatment is safe and suitable for you. The service isn’t suitable for a first outbreak, which needs a swab test at a clinic, or if you’re pregnant, might be pregnant or are breastfeeding.
Both are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Cold sores are usually caused by type 1 (HSV-1) around the mouth. Genital herpes can be caused by either type 1 or type 2 (HSV-2). In the UK, many new cases of genital herpes are now caused by HSV-1, usually passed on through oral sex. Genital HSV-1 tends to come back less often than HSV-2.
Through skin-to-skin contact with an infected area, during vaginal, anal or oral sex, or by sharing sex toys. A cold sore can pass the virus to the genitals during oral sex. It can be passed on even when there are no visible sores, although the risk is highest from the first tingle of an outbreak until the sores have healed. It isn’t spread by towels, toilet seats or swimming pools.
Don’t have sex, including oral sex, from the first tingle or itch until the sores have completely healed. Use condoms between outbreaks; they lower the risk a lot but don’t cover all the skin. Telling partners helps too. Daily antiviral tablets roughly halve the risk of passing on HSV-2; your GP or sexual health clinic can discuss this.
Many people feel tingling, itching or burning in the area a day or so before anything appears. Small blisters then form and burst, leaving red, sore patches that scab and heal. Peeing can sting. A first outbreak can also cause a high temperature, aches and swollen glands in the groin. Later outbreaks are usually milder, and many people learn to recognise the warning signs.
For outbreaks after your diagnosis, yes. Once genital herpes has been confirmed by a GP or sexual health clinic, you can get antiviral tablets online after a consultation with our pharmacist prescriber. For a first outbreak, or sores you’re not sure about, please visit a sexual health clinic. Clinics are free, and a swab confirms the diagnosis and rules out other causes.
A first outbreak is usually the worst, and can take two to four weeks to heal fully. Later outbreaks are usually milder and shorter, often settling within a week or so. Starting antiviral tablets as soon as symptoms begin can shorten an outbreak by a day or two.
Valaciclovir (the brand Valtrex) is turned into aciclovir in the body. It’s absorbed better, so it’s taken twice a day instead of three times. Both work equally well for treating outbreaks. Aciclovir costs less; Valtrex needs fewer doses. The prescriber will help you choose.
Yes, daily (suppressive) treatment can prevent most outbreaks and reduce the risk of passing herpes on. UK guidance suggests it for people with frequent outbreaks, usually 6 or more a year, or very troublesome ones, with a review after a year. Our online service supplies treatment for individual outbreaks only, so please ask your GP or sexual health clinic about daily treatment.
No. After the first infection, the virus stays in the nerves for life and can reactivate from time to time. But outbreaks can be treated, they usually become milder and less frequent over time, and some people never have another one.
As soon as possible, ideally at the first tingle, itch or burning, before blisters appear. That’s why many people keep a pack ready. Treatment started later still helps, but the benefit is smaller. For a first outbreak, antivirals should be started within 5 days of the symptoms beginning, so see a sexual health clinic promptly.
Most women who had herpes before pregnancy have healthy babies and a normal birth. The main risk is catching herpes for the first time late in pregnancy, which can pass to the baby during birth. Tell your midwife if you or your partner have ever had genital herpes, so they can plan your care. Our online service doesn’t treat herpes during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Our herpes in pregnancy guide explains more.
No. Routine STI screens test for infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV, not herpes. Herpes is diagnosed with a swab from a sore, so it’s best to be seen while sores are present. Blood tests for herpes antibodies exist, but they’re only used in particular situations, as they can be hard to interpret.
If you’ve been diagnosed before, an outbreak usually feels and looks like your previous ones, in roughly the same place. Sores that look different, last longer than usual, or appear somewhere new could be something else, such as a skin condition or another infection, including syphilis. Get those checked at a sexual health clinic. Our guide comparing genital sores may help.
See your GP or a sexual health clinic. If you have 6 or more outbreaks a year, or they’re affecting your life, daily treatment can help. More frequent or severe outbreaks can sometimes be a sign that your immune system needs checking. Stress, illness, friction and periods are common triggers; our herpes recurrences guide covers these.
Helpful reads related to this treatment area.
Start a short online consultation and our clinical team will review whether treatment is suitable for you.
