treatment with antiviral drugs can help people who are bothered by genital herpes outbreaks stay symptom-free longer. these drugs can also reduce the severity and duration of symptoms when they flare up. drug therapy is not a cure but it can make living with the condition easier. there are three major drugs commonly used to treat genital herpes symptoms: acyclovir (zovirax) famciclovir (famvir) and valacyclovir (valtrex). these are all taken in pill form. severe cases may be treated with intravenous (iv) acyclovir. formulas applied to the surface of the skin provide little benefit and doctors don't usually recommend them.
what are the treatment options for genital herpes?