It is difficult to paint a single picture of what herpes infection is like. The symptoms depend not only on the severity of infection but also on its site. For the most part, herpes simplex prefers mucous membranes, where the skin is thin. These include areas like the lips of the mouth (oral herpes, HSV1) and the labia (lips) of the vagina (genital herpes, HSV2). However, any area of the body may be fair territory for herpes.
When genital sores erupt, they usually do so at the site where the virus took hold, which is usually on the external genitals. Sores generally look like a cluster of small blisters filled with clear or whitish fluid. The classical herpes sore is just this: a group of small blisters (vesicles) on a red base of inflamed skin
In many cases, these blisters are never seen, and the first signs of infection are small erosions of the skin called ulcers. Ulcers also tend to come in clusters or groups. They may feel like chafing of the skin or some other irritation. Genital herpes may never be more severe than one very small sore on the labia or foreskin, around the anus, or on the thigh. It may be the size of a pencil eraser or as small as the sharpened lead point. The sore or chafing may never be painful at all and may not even itch.
