Unfortunately, there is no cure for herpes simplex but that does not mean herpes is all bad news. For most of people with herpes, they never get another outbreak again. And the good news is that many people choose herpes treatments to ease the pain, shorten the symptoms or to prevent outbreaks and reduce the risk of transmitting herpes. The genital herpes treatment differs in the case of primary and recurrent infections. You need to know that genital herpes can be caused by two types of viruses, HSV-1 and HSV-2.