Transcript: Herpes never goes away, even when you’re not exhibiting physical symptoms.  So what does it do inside of you?  During your initial herpes outbreak, your immune system creates antibodies specifically designed to fight the HSV, or herpes, virus.  Once the first outbreak is over, the virus retreats to the ganglia nerves at the base of your spine.  After the first bout of sores, herpes-specific antibodies made during the first outbreak do a better job of ensuring that HSV stays inactive, preventing future outbreaks—or that it returns with less force. Sometimes, a trigger—like stress or sunlight—re-can activate the virus.  When that happens, HSV travels to the initial outbreak site, causing herpes sores to re-appear in the same area.  The average number of outbreaks in an affected person is between 4 to 5 per year, but some people may experience many more, while others have just one or two reactions to the virus in their lifetime. If you experience uncontrollable herpes outbreaks, talk to your doctor about prescriptions that can help!