Herpes (her-peez) is a lifetime commitment until someone invents a cure. When you become infected for the first time (aka the primary infection) the symptoms are usually at their worst. Thereafter, the symptoms recur more mildly 1 to 2 times per year typically, with no clear trigger, though being under stress is often cited. Estimates put the number of cases in the U.S. at over 350,000.

How soon? Two to 14 days after infection, the skin lesions will appear and last between two and three weeks. Recurrent outbreaks last roughly one to two weeks.

What to look for: You'll feel kind of flu-ish during the primary infection -- headaches, body aches, feeling run down. The telltale symptom is the painful ulcers clustered somewhere in or around your party place. Accompanying these ulcers are swollen lymph glands at the top of the thigh.

Recurrent infection: Usually less intense and of shorter duration than the first round. The resulting ulcers are often preceded by painful electrical-like pain in the general vicinity of where the breakout will be.

Can you get rid of it? No. And from the time you become infected you put every partner you're with at risk for infection. While using condoms reduces risk, it does not eliminate the risk of getting or giving herpes, regardless of whether or not you have symptoms.

Some good news: There are medicines available that can reduce the severity of symptoms and even reduce the frequency of recurrence.