Genital herpes and genital warts are sexually transmitted diseases caused by two relatively common but quite different viruses, herpes simplex virus and human papillomavirus. It has been estimated that one out of every four women and one out of every five men is infected with genital herpes. This means that there are about 45 million Americans between the ages of 12 and 45 years infected. Once established, genital herpes is a lifelong infection that waxes and wanes over time. There are no absolute, permanent cures for genital herpes, but there are a number of drugs that can reduce the burden of the infection.
Antiviral drugs such as acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex) and famciclovir (Famvir) are all useful to reduce the duration of symptoms when the virus becomes activated. Although a number of over-the-counter supplements are sold as treatments for genital herpes, few if any have been tested in a scientific way. L-Lysine is an essential amino acid and one of the building blocks of protein. A group of researchers published an article over 20 years ago that suggested there may be a role for lysine supplements in the treatment of a number of herpes infections, including genital herpes. Although the study participants suggested that the lysine supplements did reduce their symptoms, other studies have not come to the same conclusion. The last study that I am aware of was published in 1985; in this study, lysine did not reduce the number of recurrences of visible genital herpes episodes and did not lessen the symptoms when outbreaks occurred.
