Genital Herpes
Genital Herpes advice and treatment with Aciclovir 400mg tablets available to buy online from our UK registered pharmacy.
Read medical information and answer medical questions to buy treatment online.
Medication available
PricesAll medicine supplied is UK licensed.
Prices
Medication | Quantity | Cost |
---|---|---|
Aciclovir 400mg | 15 tablets (1 course of treatment) | £8.95 |
Aciclovir 400mg | 30 tablets (2 courses of treatment) | £13.95 |
Aciclovir 400mg | 168 tablets (3 months suppressive treatment) | £29.20 |
Aciclovir 400mg | 336 tablets (6 months suppressive treatment) | £49.40 |
Price match guarantee
Prescription issued online - small prescription fee per order.
Compare prices: Dr Fox prices are 25%-50% lower cost than other online clinics.
Prescription fees
Dr Fox supplies medicine on prescription and charges a small prescription fee based on the order value of each prescription.
Prescriptions are issued by our doctors online and sent electronically to our pharmacy.
Order value | Prescription fee |
---|---|
up to £10 | £1.00 |
up to £20 | £2.00 |
up to £40 | £3.00 |
over £40 | £4.00 |
If you have your own private or NHS paper prescription please post to our pharmacy (details).
Dr Fox prices are 25%–50% lower than other UK online clinics.
Medication | Dr Fox* | Zava | Superdrug | Simple Pharmacy | Lloyds | Independent Pharmacy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aciclovir 400mg (1 course) | £8.95 | £19.95 | £20.00 | £14.95 | £20.00 | £19.99 |
Aciclovir 400mg (2 courses) | £13.95 | £24.95 | £25.00 | £19.95 | £25.00 | £31.98 |
Aciclovir 400mg (3 month course) | £29.20 | £49.00 | £49.00 | £34.95 | £45.00 | £48.00 |
UK delivery | £2.90 | included | included | £3.20 | included | £2.95 |
Delivery charges
UK delivery only: £2.90 per consultation via Royal Mail 24 Signed For (1-3 working days with tracking).
Parcel forwarding services are not permitted. Use only UK home or work delivery address.
Returns and refunds - unwanted items can be returned within 14 working days for a full refund.
Medical information
Written and reviewed by a team of doctors. Dr Fox is regulated by the CQC & GPhC.
If you have previously been diagnosed with genital herpes, and you are confident that you recognise the symptoms of repeat outbreaks, you can request treatment from Dr Fox pharmacy.
If you are aged under 18 please contact your GP or a local sexual health clinic for testing and treatment:
Diagnosis and check-up before treatment
Not every sore in the genital area is caused by herpes. It is important to see a doctor or visit a Sexual Health Clinic to have a diagnosis and to be tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Do NOT self-treat with antiviral medication without getting a medical diagnosis first. New sores in different places are unlikely to be caused by herpes. Aciclovir 400mg tablets are for the treatment of herpes sores in the vaginal area, on or around the penis, and in the region of the anus (back passage) - see photos of herpes. More photos of herpes on genitalia available from DermNet NZ.
Treatment with aciclovir
A 5-day course of aciclovir tablets will typically reduce the duration of genital herpes sores by one or two days. It also reduces severity of symptoms and infectiousness. If taken early enough, aciclovir may prevent sores from breaking open. A course of aciclovir will not prevent future outbreaks. Aciclovir cream is not recommended for treatment of genital herpes as it offers minimal benefit.
Suppression with aciclovir
If attacks are frequent (six or more attacks per year) guidelines recommend considering suppressive antiviral treatment. This involves taking aciclovir 400mg twice a day continuously for 6 months and up to a maximum of 12 months. Be aware you may get an outbreak 4-5 days after stopping long-term treatment. This is not a sign you will start to have repeated outbreaks. However if you have 2 or more reoccurrences on stopping then you can consider restarting suppressive treatment.
If breakthrough recurrences occur during suppressive treatment please notify your GP or visit a sexual health clinic.
Is herpes infectious?
When herpes sores are open and active, the virus is more infectious, however if you have the virus it can be spread to others even when you don't have sores. Using condoms provides some protection from transmission, but this protection is not 100% effective. Spread can still take place.
There is currently no genital herpes vaccine.
The following steps will help to reduce infection:
- Using condoms for all sexual contact, including oral and anal sex. Avoid all sexual contact if you or your partner have blisters or sores, or other signs that a herpes sore is developing.
- Avoid contact with blisters and sores - wash your hands if this occurs.
- Avoid sharing sex toys and use them with a condom.
- Managing stress - a common trigger for an outbreak.
Aciclovir dosage
Repeat genital herpes
Start treatment early, preferably in the first 24-48 hours of a new sore. Take one 400mg tablet three times daily 8 hours apart for 5 days. 15 tablets is enough for one course of treatment.
Suppression of genital herpes
Take one 400mg tablet twice a day 12 hours apart for a minimum of 6 months. Can be taken for up to 12 months, then a trial stopping treatment is advised.
Swallow tablets whole with plenty of fluids, or dissolve in water. Can be taken with or without food. Seek medical advice if treatment is not effective or there are new symptoms or side effects. It is important to drink plenty of water whilst taking aciclovir, and to avoid alcohol.
Please note: The dose instruction in the patient information leaflet supplied with the tablets is different from the instruction on the packet - follow the prescription instruction label on the box. Tablets will be supplied in blank boxes of 15 or 30 tablets, except for suppressive treatment which is supplied in original medicine boxes of 56 tablets.
The dosage for cold sore treatment is different to genital herpes treatment.
Can anyone take aciclovir?
People over 65 years, those diagnosed with kidney disease (impaired renal function), some neurological conditions, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may not be able to take aciclovir. Checks are carried out during the online consultation and advice is given. Dr Fox pharmacy supplies medicine only to adults (over 18s).
If you experience a bout of herpes during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, visit your doctor to discuss treatment options. Aciclovir should not interfere with contraception.
Aciclovir tablets and other medication
People taking the following medications should consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking aciclovir:
- Probenecid (used to treat gout).
- Cimetidine (used to treat stomach ulcers).
- Mycophenolate mofetil (used to stop your body rejecting transplanted organs).
- Ciclosporin (an immunosuppressant drug).
- Theophylline (used in asthma and other breathing problems).
- Zidovudine (used in HIV infection).
Side effects of aciclovir
Like all medicines, aciclovir can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
If you have an allergic reaction (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) stop taking aciclovir 400mg tablets and see a doctor straight away.
Common side effects include headache, feeling dizzy or sick, diarrhoea, stomach pains, rash, skin reaction after exposure to light (photosensitivity), fatigue, and fever.
See the patient information leaflet for further details.
Buy treatmentDr Fox supplies genital herpes medication on prescription - you are required to answer a short medical questionnaire before your order can be completed.
Product leaflet

Authored 26 February 2020 by Dr Tony Steele
MB ChB Sheffield University 1983. Former hospital doctor and GP.
Reviewed by Dr A. Wood, Dr C. Pugh, Dr B. Babor, Dr P. Hunt
Last reviewed 07 April 2021
Last updated 17 January 2022
References
- BASHH, 2015, Genital herpes, 07 April 2021
- NICE, 2017, Herpes simplex - genital, 07 April 2021
- BNF/NICE, 2017, ACICLOVIR, accessed 07 April 2021
- Accord-UK, 2020, Aciclovir Tablets BP 400mg: Summary of Product Characteristics, accessed 07 April 2021
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