The mission of the Cochrane Nursing Care Field (CNCF) is to improve health outcomes through increasing the use of the Cochrane Library and supporting Cochrane’s role by providing an evidence base for nurses and healthcare professionals who deliver, lead or research nursing care. The CNCF produces Cochrane Corner columns, summaries of recent nursing-care-relevant Cochrane Reviews that are regularly published in collaborating nursing-related journals. Information on the processes CNCF has developed can be accessed at: cncf.cochrane.org/evidence-transfer-program-review-summaries. This is a Cochrane review summary of: Heslop R, Roberts H, Flower D et al (2016) Interventions for men and women with their first episode of genital herpes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Issue 8. CD010684. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010684.pub2.