Genital herpes: preventing the spread
Genital herpes is a viral infection mainly affecting the skin on or around your genitals, which you can catch through having sex, including oral sex, with an infected person.
Once infected with a genital herpes virus, it stays in your body forever. Some people with genital herpes have outbreaks of genital sores that keep coming back, while other people have no symptoms at all and don’t even know they have the virus in their body. So it's possible to transmit the virus to sexual partners even if you don't have symptoms (though this is less likely than when you have active lesions).
Mostly, you won’t know whether or not your sexual partner is infected with one of the viruses that cause genital herpes. In fact, most people don’t know themselves whether or not they are infected. So, when having sex with a new partner, it’s always best to follow these safer sex tips.
Protecting yourself and your partner
- Always use a condom during vaginal or anal sex.
- During oral sex, always use a condom to avoid direct mouth to penis contact, or a dental dam to avoid direct mouth to vagina or mouth to anus contact. A dental dam is a small sheet of latex that is held over the entrance to the vagina or anus as a protective barrier during oral sex. Keep only one side of the dam next to the genital area, remember to keep your mouth on the other side of the dam (don’t turn it over) and don’t reuse it.
Note.
If you always use a condom or a dental dam during sexual contact, you significantly reduce your risk of catching or passing on genital herpes. However, a slight risk remains because the area of infected skin may not always be covered by the condom or dental dam.
If you have genital herpes
- Avoid all sexual contact during an outbreak of genital herpes, that is, when genital sores are present.
- Always follow the above safe sex practices between outbreaks, as the virus can be passed on even when no sores are visible.
- Talk to your doctor about treatment options such as antiviral medications, which can reduce your number of outbreaks and help make them less severe and more short lived. The use of antiviral medications as suppressive therapy (along with condom use during sex) can help reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to a non-infected partner.
- Discuss genital herpes with your partner. Your partner might consider having a blood test for the genital herpes virus. Even if the blood test shows your partner has also been infected with a genital herpes virus, safe sex practices are still recommended, especially when sores are present.
Herpes can be transferred from one part of the body to another during an outbreak, so avoid touching another part of your body, especially your eyes, after touching the affected area. Wash your hands often during an outbreak.
Genital herpes and pregnancy
Pregnant women who are infected with the herpes virus and have an outbreak of genital sores may need to have a Caesarean section delivery rather than a vaginal delivery, as a baby catching the infection during delivery can become severely unwell.
Last Reviewed: 16 April 2004
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