Introduction 10 7 20 7 6 8 Episodic treatment for genital herpes 4 5 14 16 13 15 9 13 15 19 2 Treatment of recurrent genital herpes with oral antivirals 3 3 17 16 16 1 12 13 19 9 14 11 15 Data from single-day famciclovir clinical trial 2 1 2 9 13 15 18 19 Table 1 Effectiveness of oral antivirals in clinical trials of episodic treatment for genital herpes Drug Treatment regimen Median time (days) to lesion healing (treatment vs control) Percent of aborted episodes (treatment vs control) 13 19  P   a  P  P   9 18  P   P  b P   P  2 15  P   P  P   a b P NS = Not significant Conclusion The rapid onset of viral replication in recurrent genital herpes suggests that a shorter course of therapy would be as efficacious as traditional treatments. Patient-initiated single-day therapy could prove helpful for obstetricians/gynecologists who treat patients with genital herpes, as it may provide a more convenient option for treating the disease, and could help to promote patient compliance. High bioavailability, ease of use, and the added benefit of preventing progression to a full genital herpes outbreak in some patients make famciclovir an excellent candidate for single-day patient-initiated episodic therapy.