Most infected people have mild symptoms, and in some cases they show no symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms are mistaken for another disease. Where there are no symptoms or where mild symptoms are present, not many may be aware of the infection. Symptoms generally consist of painful blisters around the rectal or genital area. The blisters then burst, forming ulcers and take 2 to 4 weeks to heal. Immediately before the outbreak you may feel itching or tingling on the skin. With the first outbreak of genital herpes, an individual may also experience flu-like signs such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, and muscle aches. In women, blistering lesions occur on the vulva and around the vagina. Subsequently the blisters continue to form ulcers. In most cases, the infection spreads to involve the cervix. This leads to inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis). Cervicitis may be the only indication of genital herpes infection in some women. Sometimes in some women the urethra becomes infected and inflamed, causing pain