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The key is to avoid being infected with HSV, which is highly contagious while lesions are present. The suggestions for preventing genital herpes are the same as those for preventing other sexually transmitted diseases. You can also reduce the risk of transmitting HSV to your sex partner(s). The best way to prevent infection is to abstain from sexual activity or to limit sexual contact to only one person who is infection-free.
Prevent this earlier before it occurs to you:
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Be responsible.
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Find out your partner having the STD or not.
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Remember that it is quite possible to be infected with an STD without knowing it.
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Some STD, such as HSV, HIV, can take up to 6 months before they can be detected in the blood.
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Avoid sexual contact if you have symptoms of an STD or are being treated for an STD.
Take precautions:
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Use, or have your partner use, a latex condom during each sexual contact
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Don't have more than one sexual relationship at a time. Your risk for the disease increases if you have several sex partners.
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Avoid intercourse if either partner has an outbreak of herpes in the genital area or anywhere else.
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Open communication with your partner or potential partner is important.
Genital herpes and pregnancy:
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A woman who gets genital herpes while she is pregnant is at risk of passing the infection to her baby during delivery. A newborn can become seriously ill if infected with the herpes simplex virus. For this reason it is very important to prevent genital herpes infection during pregnancy.
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Be sure to tell your doctor that you have HSV or, if you're unsure, ask to be tested for HSV.
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Tell the doctor if you have been exposed to genital herpes or have had an outbreak in the past.
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Genital herpes infection is often transmitted by people who do not know they are infected and do not have symptoms, so avoid unsafe sex. Use condoms.
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Avoid receiving oral sex from partners who have cold sores. You don't have to receive oral sex in the last three months of your pregnancy. It increases their risk of genital infection with HSV-1.
Watch for signs and symptoms of HSV during pregnancy:
Your doctor may recommend that you start taking herpes antiviral medications late in pregnancy to try to prevent an outbreak from occurring around the time of delivery. If you're having an outbreak when you go into labor, your doctor will probably suggest a Cesarean section to reduce the risk of passing the virus to your baby.
A mother with open sores can spread the infection to her newborn as the infant passes through the birth canal. Mothers experiencing their first outbreak of herpes at the time of delivery to transmit the infection to their babies.
Genital herpes may result in brain damage, blindness or death for the newborn
If you are having a genital herpes outbreak, wash your hands after using the bathroom or having any contact with blisters or sores. This is especially important for people who are caring for babies.
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