Having Children and Herpes

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			Having Children (and having H)
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	Signs and Symptoms Recurrences Help to Stop Breakouts Viral Shedding HSV-1 vs HSV-2 Herpes Pictures Cold Sores Genital Herpes Shingles Herpes Whitlow Asymptomatic Cases Herpes Encephalitis Chickenpox Diagnosing Herpes HSV Tests available Blood Test Results Similar Conditions Local STD Clinics Treatments L-Lysine The Immune System Diet Changes Outbreak Pain Relief Herbs for Herpes Clinical Trials What is Herpes? Scientific Information Statistics FAQ How Herpes is Spread Contracting HSV Safe Sex Tips Prevention Herpes Message Board Telling a Partner Anonymous Email Teller Rebuilding Self-Esteem Dating & Relationships Having Children Partners & Loved Ones Herpes Blog Herpes Chat Sites Herpes Dating Sites Celebrities with Herpes Herpes Booklet Herpes Support Line CDC Fact Sheet Herpes Alliance ASHA Herpes Resource Gayla's H Website Herpes Help Genital Herpes (NIAID) ヘルペス		What to consider when a Women is affected by Herpes Having herpes does not mean that you will not be able to have children. In fact, women with genital herpes can experience a safe pregnancy and normal vaginal childbirth. Herpes is not a genetic condition and so cannot be passed on from parent to child in this way. Herpes is also not spread through blood, semen or vaginal fluids, instead, the virus is spread by direct contact. If a woman is having an outbreak during labor and delivery and there are herpes lesions in or near the birth canal, the doctor will do a cesarean section to protect the baby. Most women with genital herpes, however, do not have signs of active infection with the virus during this time and can have a normal delivery. *If a woman has primary herpes (her first ever encounter with the virus) at any point in the pregnancy, there is the possibility of the virus crossing the placenta and infecting the baby in the uterus (about 5% of cases). This transmission of the virus to the fetus causes neonatal herpes, a potentially fatal condition. Mothers who acquire genital herpes in the last few weeks of pregnancy are at the highest risk of transmitting the virus. However, women with a history of genital herpes before becoming pregnant have a very low risk of transmitting the virus to their baby. This is because of antibodies circulating in the mother's blood, these antibodies should protect the baby during pregnancy. If you are interested in talking to other mothers with HSV you may like to visit our Discussion Forum. It is a good place to go for encouragement and support. What to consider when a* Man is affected by Herpes As mentioned above, having herpes does not mean that you will not be able to have children (whether you are a male or female). Herpes is not a genetic condition and so cannot be passed on from parent to child in this way. Herpes is also not spread through blood, semen or vaginal fluids, instead the virus is spread by direct contact. *Women with a history of genital herpes before becoming pregnant* have a low risk of transmitting the virus to their baby. This is because of antibodies circulating in the mother's blood - these antibodies should protect the baby during pregnancy. *If a woman has primary herpes (her first encounter with the virus) at any point in the pregnancy* there is the possibility of the virus crossing the placenta and infecting the baby in the uterus (about 5% of cases). This transmission of the virus to the fetus causes neonatal herpes, a potentially fatal condition. Mothers who acquire genital herpes in the last few weeks of pregnancy are at the highest risk of transmitting the virus. *When a male partner has genital herpes and the woman has no evidence of infection, you may need to consider:* A blood test to establish if your girlfriend has HSV antibodies The use of condoms from the time of conception, through until the time of birth You may wish to take oral antiviral medication for the duration of the pregnancy to help suppress shedding Avoiding oral sex for the duration of the pregnancy if the male has a history of facial herpes or cold sores Exploring alternatives to intercourse, such as touching, kissing, fantasizing, massage If you care about your partner and want to have an intimate relationship with her herpes does not have to stand in the way. Couples deal successfully with herpes all the time and in most cases it is only a minor inconvenience. Many couples have had sexual relations for years without transmitting herpes. Some simply avoid having sexual contact when signs or symptoms are present, while others use condoms or other protection between outbreaks to help protect against asymptomatic shedding (transmission that can occur when no symptoms are present). Read up on Safe Sex with Herpes and Herpes Prevention for more information. Can Herpes be transmitted during pregnancy and can the herpes virus be passed onto an infant? Infants can become infected with the herpes virus. If you have ever been exposed to herpes talk with your doctor before planning a pregnancy, even if you have never had symptoms or have not experienced a recurrence in a long time. You will need to contact your health care professional for more information about pregnancy with herpes, and to obtain appropriate tests and follow-up care for the pregnancy. Should you have herpes present in the birth canal near the time of delivery, a caesarean section might be necessary to protect the newborn from coming into direct contact with the virus. Babies can also contract herpes from being kissed by someone with a cold sore (5 - 8%). A young child cannot fight off infections as easily as an adult can, so serious health problems can occur. If you suffer from cold sores take every precaution not to put an infant child at risk. Will my child get genital herpes from sharing my towel? Herpes can only be contracted by direct contact with the live virus particles. This process generally occurs when a skin area or mucous membrane (such as your hands, mouth or genitals) comes into direct contact with an active infected area (such as your genitals if you have an active genital infection). The spreading of genital herpes through inanimate objects, such as a toilet seat, bath, clothing, towels, bed sheets, soap and spa surfaces is considered to be very unlikely because the herpes virus cannot live for very long outside of the body. Unlike a flu virus that you can get through the air, the herpes virus is spread by direct contact. Herpes is also not spread through saliva, bodily fluids, blood or semen. One kind of complication involves spreading the virus from the location of an outbreak to other places on the body by touching the sore(s). The fingers, eyes, and other body areas can accidentally become infected in this way. Preventing self-infection is simple. Do not touch the area during an outbreak. If you do, wash your hands as soon as possible with soap and warm water, this will help to prevent the virus from spreading further. Read more on Herpes Transmission. 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