Psychosomatic Medicine 18:81-83 (1956)
© 1956 American Psychosomatic Society

Herpes Recurrens--Emotional Factors

Report of a Case

¹ Department of Dermatology, University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago, Ill.

Herpes simplex or "fever blisters" is a virus infection which is found in a great majority of people. Specific neutralizing antibodies can be demonstrated in the serums of those affected and the physiological balance can be upset to produce characteristic lesions. Specific flaring factors can be physical or emotional or a combination of both, and usually affect the same area of skin. Various authors have demonstrated that emotions are frequently the trigger mechanism in herpes recurrens.

The report of a patient has been presented who developed herpes progenitalis after every marital coital act. Frequent extramarital intercourse with a number of women produced no lesions. The patient had been reared by two highly superstitious women who were hostile toward men. He was immature, highly suggestible, and regarded motherhood as sacred. His first coital experience was with his wife and there was no evidence of the disease in the first year of marriage. After the birth of a son he identified his wife with his mother and genital satisfaction became inhibited by shame and guilt feelings. A demonstration of his wife's vaginal secretions under the microscope by the family physician resulted in strong repugnance and fear of infection. A conjugal coitus following this episode resulted in characteristic herpes progenitalis lesions.

In this case of an immature and highly suggestible individual, herpes recurrens was a vegetative response due to shame and guilt feelings and strengthened by strong aversion and fear of infection.