Episodic therapy with acyclovir both as a treatment modality and as an HIV-prevention strategy is appealing, in terms of cost and sustainability. However, it is not clear which will be its impact under field conditions in which there would be delay in symptom recognition and treatment initiation, and whether these conditions could be optimized through patient education. We propose to conduct a randomized placebo-controlled trial of the effect of HSV-2 episodic therapy on symptomatic herpes and on HIV shedding from genital ulcers. This study will help answer the question if acyclovir therapy for herpes should be added into the syndromic management of genital ulcer disease. Acyclovir has an acceptable profile for widespread STI treatment and is now relatively inexpensive and well-tolerated. Given that HSV-2 is the leading cause of GUD in the developing world, this approach could have great public health importance, by providing a safe, acceptable, and cost-effective method to treat genital ulcer disease and potentially reduce HIV transmission. If acyclovir therapy reduces HIV shedding, its incorporation into syndromic management would provide and effective way to scale it up as a public health intervention.