Can genital herpes kill you? Genital herpes is rarely life threatening. But having herpes sores makes it easier for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to enter the body.

Does herpes shorten your life?

Becoming infected with the herpes virus seriously complicates your social, emotional and sexual life, but it is not otherwise a terribly dangerous condition to have. Having genital herpes does make it easier to get HIV (and thus AIDS), but otherwise, the condition is not disabling, and does not reduce lifespan.

How long can you live with herpes?

People who contract HSV will have the virus for the rest of their lives. Even if it does not manifest symptoms, the virus will continue to live in nerve cells. Some people may experience regular outbreaks. Others will only experience one outbreak after they contract the virus, and then the virus may become dormant.