Genital Herpes during Pregnancy
By: abelfischerTotal Views: 387, Word Count: 514,
Herpes is one of the most common viral infections that affect more than 80 per cent of people at some point of time or another and about 20 per cent of pregnant women. Pregnant women with herpes can deliver their baby safely without the requirement of a caesarean section provided that the disease is old and you have no active lesions at the time of labor. If you have a history of herpes then you must contact your healthcare provider to discuss the risks of transmitting the disease to the new born baby.
Herpes is caused by a virus called HSV virus. If you have genital herpes, then the virus will remain in you for the rest of your life including the pregnancy period. Many women suffering from genital herpes worry about transferring the virus to their baby while they are pregnant. Fortunately, most women will not spread the virus to their baby during pregnancy unless the woman has her first episode of genital herpes during pregnancy.
Sometimes during pregnancy, some women may have a recurrence of the virus because of the stress and anxiety associated with pregnancy. These outbreaks do not last for a long period and will not affect the delivery unless they occur during the time of delivery.
However, if you develop an outbreak of herpes during the time of delivery then your obstetrician will have to do a caesarean section to avoid spreading the virus to the baby. Usually transmission of the virus occurs only if the woman is suffering with an active herpes outbreak at the time of birth. It is very rare for a woman to transfer the virus if the disease is long standing. Your healthcare care provider will check if you have any lesions at the time of delivery.
Women who have had genital herpes for a long time would have developed antibodies against the infection. These antibodies will pass to the fetus through the placenta. The antibodies will provide protection to the baby against the infection during delivery even if the virus exists in the birth canal delivery.
The timing seems to be an important factor for the spreading of the disease. If the mother has an active herpes outbreak or is infected for the first time at the time of birth, then the chances of the infection spreading to the baby is high.
Premature delivery also increases the newborn baby’s chance of contracting the infection.
Treatment of herpes during Pregnancy
There are a number of studies that recommend that consuming the antiviral acyclovir for the treatment of genital herpes is safe to take during pregnancy. It can be used to prevent the occurrence of a herpes breakout. During pregnancy if you experience recurrent herpes infections then, your healthcare provider may recommend suppressive therapy using acyclovir as you approach the delivery date in order to prevent the virus transferring to the baby.
If you have genital herpes then it is important that you discuss your condition with your doctor and to talk about your concerns and risks associated with the disease.
About the Author
Abel Fischer is a practicing gynecologist in Dassel, Germany and regularly contributes to women’s health issues and forums.
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