Home Health Center Genital Herpes   Genital Herpes - Prevention

Prevention of Genital Herpes


Genital herpes may be prevented in the same way as other sexually transmitted diseases. The most important step is to avoid getting infected with the herpes simplex virus. This can be done by abstaining from sexual relations or restricting sexual relations to a single partner who is not infected. You can also take the following measures to avoid contracting genital herpes:

  • Use latex condoms during sexual intercourse
  • Restrict the number of sexual partners
  • Avoid having sexual intercourse if your partner or you are experiencing an outbreak of genital herpes.
Pregnant women should inform their doctor if they do suffer from genital herpes. Those who are not sure if they have the infection should get tested for it if there is any suspicion. Usually antiviral medications are prescribed later in the pregnancy so that an outbreak does not occur during the time of delivery. If an outbreak occurs during labor, the doctor may suggest a cesarean section to prevent the virus from spreading to the baby. 
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References
  1. Lawrence Stanberry, Anthony Cunningham, Gregory Mertz, Adrian Mindel, Barry Peters, Michael Reitano, Stephen Sacks, Anna Wald, Sawko Wassilew, Paul Woolley, New developments in the epidemiology, natural history and management of genital herpes, Antiviral Research, Volume 42, Issue 1, May 1999, Pages 1-14, ISSN 0166-3542, 10.1016/S0166-3542(99)00004-2.
  2. Margaret Perlia Bavis, Diane Yeager Smith, Martha Zervopoulos Siomos, Genital Herpes: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Counseling in the Adolescent Patient, The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, Volume 5, Issue 6, June 2009, Pages 415-420, ISSN 1555-4155, 10.1016/j.nurpra.2008.11.004.