Prevention

You can take measures to reduce your risk of becoming infected with genital herpes (HSV) infection or another sexually transmitted infection (STI). You can also reduce the risk of transmitting HSV to your sex partner(s).

Practice safe sex

Preventing an STI is easier than treating an infection after it occurs.

• Talk with your partner about STIs before beginning a sexual relationship. Find out whether he or she is at risk for an STI. Remember that it is quite possible to have an STI without knowing it. Some STIs, such as HIV, can take up to 6 months before they can be detected in the blood.
• Be responsible.
  • Avoid sexual contact if you have symptoms of an STI or are being treated for an STI.
  • Avoid sexual contact with anyone who has symptoms of an STI or who may have been exposed to an STI.
• Don't have more than one sexual relationship at a time. Your risk for an STI increases if you have several sex partners.

For more information, see the topic Safe Sex.

Vaccines that can prevent a genital herpes infection are not currently available. But research has shown that an HSV-infected person in a heterosexual, single-partner (monogamous) relationship who takes the antiviral medicine valacyclovir daily to prevent recurrent outbreaks also reduces the risk of infecting his or her partner.² Other antiviral medicines may also reduce transmission, but further study is needed.

Condom use

Condom use reduces the risk of spreading or becoming infected with an STI, including genital herpes. Condoms must be in place before beginning any sexual contact. Use condoms with a new partner until you are certain he or she does not have an STI. You can use either male or female condoms.

Even if you are using another birth control method to prevent pregnancy, you may wish to use condoms to reduce your risk of getting an STI. Female condoms are available for women whose male partners do not have or will not use a condom.

Doctors recommend that people abstain from sex while they feel tingling or pain in the genital area, which may mean that an HSV outbreak is coming (prodrome), or when a genital herpes blister or sore is present. At other times, condoms help reduce transmission of HSV even when blisters or sores are not present.

Genital herpes and pregnancy

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.

• Tell your doctor if you have been exposed to genital herpes or have had an outbreak in the past.
• Let your doctor know if you are currently having an outbreak of genital herpes, especially if it is during the last part of your pregnancy.
• Avoid unsafe sex. Genital herpes infection is often transmitted by people who do not know they are infected and do not have symptoms. Use condoms.
• Avoid receiving oral sex from partners who have cold sores. Herpes in newborns can be caused by HSV-1, the virus that most commonly causes cold sores. Most experts advise pregnant women not to receive oral sex in the last three months of their pregnancy. It increases their risk of genital infection with HSV-1.
• Antiviral medicine can be used safely in pregnancy to reduce the number of outbreaks or shorten the length of an outbreak.
• Acyclovir (Zovirax) is used in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy to reduce the risk of a recurrent outbreak at the time of delivery. This lower risk, in turn, makes it less likely that delivery by cesarean section will be needed.

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.