Herpes Facts

by

How Herpes Lead to Cervical Cancer?

Research has shown that there is a chance that genital herpes may lead to cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the cause of death for thousands of women annually.

So How Are These Two Connected?

There are several kinds of herpes virus, but the one found to be linked to cervical cancer is herpes simplex virus 2, one of the main causes of genital herpes and is known to affect millions across the globe. A shocking survey showed that half of the women who suffered from invasive cervical cancer was found to have the herpes simplex virus 2 in them. Many did not even show signs of having herpes.

However, researchers assure that the HSV 2 is not the culprit alone. HSV 2 is quite harmless and not exactly fatal when found on its own. The real danger comes if the HSV 2 is found with the human papillomavirus, also known as HPV, in their body.

There are many different kinds of HPV out there, and their effects on the body are relatively harmless. They are prone to cause genital warts, and are usually a sexually transmitted disease. However, there are also some dangerous kinds of HPV which can prove to be a cause of concern.

There are 14 types of HPV out there that can lead to a fatal health state, and invasive cervical cancer. These types of HPV cause 90% of the cervical cancer cases and are also the cause of various other kinds of genital cancers.

Herpes Typy 2

HSV 2 is one of the main causes of genital herpes and is a solely sexually transmitted infection. It is known to cause blisters in the genital and rectal area of a person, which then break to make very painful sores. Herpes is a very contagious infection. A person carrying herpes is constantly shedding the herpes virus. Genital herpes has yet to find a cure; there are medication to soothe and lessen herpes attacks; however, there still has been to discovery to completely eliminate the HSV after it has entered the body.

A person who has both HSV 2 and HPV were twice or even thrice more likely to get cervical cancer than a person who did not. This is one of the reasons why doctors stress on women to get a Pap smear, where the lab reports show if the person has HPV present in their body or not. A regular round of Pap smear is a necessary health regime for all women, doctors stress.

The good news is that when detected early, such as via a Pap smear, cervical cancer has a very high rate of getting cured, even to a 100% in many cases. Women are encouraged to get a Pap screening on an annual basis; however, those with unusual results should consult a doctor and get a Pap smear for two or three times a year.

The spread of HPV can easily be stopped by using latex condoms or diaphragms. The herpes simplex virus 1, another cause for genital herpes, is not yet known to have any relation with cervical cancer.

More posts about Herpes and cervical cancer: Can Herpes Lead to Cervical Cancer?

by

Genital Herpes Rates Not Going Down

Studies are being carried out, preventions for STDs are being known everywhere. Yet, the numbers for genital herpes and those affected by the infection is not going any lower. Numbers are crunching higher and now statistics say that one in every six American individual that are from the age category 14-49 years have herpes. If that does not sound serious enough, studies show that almost half of the African American females are affected by constantly spreading herpes simplex virus 2, or more commonly known as the genital herpes.

Twenty-four million people are affected by genital herpes in the United States of America today. This means the nation’s health care has to spend well over 16 billion dollars on just treating genital herpes alone. Even then, not everyone with herpes is getting the proper treatment or medication for their infection.

According to recent studies, women are twice more likely to be infected than men. This is due to the fact that the skin around the female genital area is more delicate and prone to lacerations. These cuts create passageways for viruses to enter the body, thus making it easier for the female to contract herpes. This also explains why African American women have such a high chance of having HSV 2 in them. In the black community, the background rate of infected people are already quite high, thus making African American females more susceptible to having the genital herpes infection.

Studies also show that people who have just one sex partner had a 4% chance of contracting herpes, whereas someone who had over ten partners had a 27% chance of contracting herpes. This is largely due to the fact that many people are not aware if they have herpes or not. Not all herpes virus carriers show symptoms of the infection, which makes it hard to tell who has herpes and who does not. Thus if a person has more sex partners, they would have a higher chance of getting the genital herpes virus, if they did not have it already.

This Leads to the Next Shocking Fact

Approximately four people out of five are not even aware that they have herpes, as they have not checked out done a blood test, hence they were never diagnosed with the disease. Many do not show symptoms, and lots of people ignore the sores, thinking they might be something minor. This is a big problem. If a person remains untreated and does not take medication for herpes, they have a higher chance of spreading herpes to their sexual partners. If they have more than one sexual partner, they have a chance of spreading it to many people.

To make matters worse, research has revealed that HVS 2 and HIV can be linked together. A person who has genital herpes is three times as likely to catch HIV in them as someone who does not have herpes. They are also more likely to spread the disease to other people as well. Even after the sores of the genital herpes have healed, there is still an increased chance of getting HIV into their body if they come in contact with the virus. Furthermore, someone who has both genital herpes and HIV is likely to spread the HIV virus during the herpes flare-ups, along with the genital herpes virus itself.

What is needed here is the state services to step up and create social awareness. People need to understand the severity of the situation, and understand that unless careful measures and steps are undertaken, there could be a herpes and HIV epidemic. The sad part of the story is that the necessary preventive measures and the testing to see if someone has herpes are neither elaborate, nor expensive. The public needs to be aware of why these steps are important. It is disappointing that public organizations fight it difficult to fund the necessary campaigns to highlight the importance of keeping herpes at bay.

Fortunately, there are campaigns to educate the masses on the importance of safe sex and symptoms of herpes. The public health organizations encourage people with high risk for having herpes to get tested to see if they have contracted herpes or not. This category includes people with multiple sexual partners, bisexual and gay men as well as people who are already infected by HIV.

by

The Half Billion Herpes Cases Around the World

The herpes simplex virus 2 has spread far and wide across the world. Studies estimate that there must be over half a billion cases of herpes, with over 24 million new cases coming up every year.

The reason why the virus is spreading like such an epidemic and remains in such large numbers is due to the fact that there still have not been a definitive cure found for herpes. Hence, once a person is affected by herpes, they will have to keep it for life.

Statistics from the World Health Organization show some worrying facts about herpes and its affect throughout the globe. About sixteen percent of people between the age range of fifteen to forty nine are affected by genital herpes, which means about 536 million people are out there carrying the herpes virus. Furthermore, about 24 million more people become infected by the herpes each year.

Studies also show that women are more prone to catching the genital herpes virus than men. Statistics show that European men have the least chances of having herpes, about 13%, whereas Sub-Saharan women in Africa had the most chance, which was a shocking 70%.

However, researchers do note that many areas do not have reliable or recent details regarding herpes to base any strong facts on. Furthermore, they also realize that many people are not even aware that they carry the genital herpes virus in their body, as they might not be showing any symptoms of the infection at all.

by

Why Are More Teens Getting Herpes Than Ever Before?

Teens

The number and percentage of teenagers in the United States of America that are affected by genital herpes is overwhelmingly large. Such numbers have never been seen before in the history of statistics. Considering the amount of precautions, education and careful measures being taken today, this no doubt comes as a great surprise.

Studies show that teenagers in the recent times have proven to have less antibodies for any sexually transmitted disease that they might contract through sexual contact. The reason for this is quite strange, and surprising as well.

Throughout the recent years, people have become far more conscience regarding hygiene and take great measures to keep their children out of the way of even the simplest diseases. Fewer children are seen to even have a simple cold, and must follow strict hygiene discipline. Due to this, children are not exposed to many diseases which children of older generations used to contract, and hence their bodies are able to create fewer antibodies to protect themselves from any foreign body when they are older.

Herpes simplex virus 1, also known as HSV 1 is the cause of many common cold sores, which children would often contract during the colder months. These infections would be temporary, affect the oral region and soon go away, which the body learns to make the necessary antibodies to fight the virus. The body then codes the type of antibodies than the HSV 1 needed to be destroyed, so if the body is affected by HSV 1 again in any manner, it will be easy to get rid of. HSV 1 is usually spread by skin contact or saliva.

Due to the increased discipline and maintenance of hygiene as previously mentioned, less and less children are susceptible to common cold and cold sores. Hence, their bodies never learn to produce antibodies to fight off HSV 1, which is also a major source of genital herpes. In fact, statistics show that about 60% of the genital herpes caused is due to HSV 1.

According to studies, 14-19 year olds had a twenty-three percent fall in having antibodies for HSV 1. Furthermore, the fall continues to another nine percent for individuals between the age of 20 to 29. However, the availability of antibodies remained the same for people in their 30s and 40s, showing that the fall in the presence of antibodies for HSV 1 is a more recent occurrence, and not something common that always happened.

There are eight types of herpes, and out of them, HSV 1 and HSV 2 are capable of causing lifelong infections that have no known cure. While HSV 1 is spread by external physical contact, HSV 2 is a sexually contracted disease. These two types of diseases are dangerous, and are capable of causing a lot of damage to the body.

Statistics for HSV 1 and HSV 2 are rather frightening. According to studies, one out of ten individuals contract HSV 1 once they are sexually active. This also has the possibility of becoming neonatal herpes, where the herpes is transferred to the unborn fetus of a mother, if the mother is affected by HSV 1 as well. Once born, HSV 1 and HSV 2 can cause a lot of harm to the new born baby. Numbers show that thirty percent of the new born infants die due to severe cases of herpes.

Of course, there comes the question that how HSV 1, a virus that causes cold sores in the mouth, can lead to genital herpes. The answer lies in the increasingly popular sexual practices of the youth. Oral sex, where a person’s mouth is connected to another person’s genital areas, can directly transfer the HSV 1 virus into the genital area, thus acting as a direct transport into a story of lifelong infection. Oral sex is now more popular among teenagers than before, hence the simultaneous increase in genital herpes in teens. Furthermore, the additional lack of antibodies for HSV 1 in the teenagers encourage the HSV 1 virus to grow and create problems at an accelerated rate.

Hence studies have come to the conclusion that a lack of antibodies for the herpes virus and the practice of oral sex have led to the increase in genital herpes among teenagers.

by

The Herpes Stigma

The outbreak of genital herpes has made herpes a well-known sexually transmitted infection, however, this is usually where the “well-known” part ends. People usually treat herpes as a taboo topic, which dos not prove to be very beneficial for the society, as instead of shunning people with herpes, people should be aware of it.

Online polls were taken to see people’s view of herpes and some other sexually transmitted diseases. About five hundred people from the United States of America who claimed to have herpes and fourteen hundred who claimed they did not, had taken an online poll of this kind. The results show that herpes was on the second of the social stigma list, and HIV took first place.

Herpes Stigma

There were also questions of if people thought topics such as HIV, obesity, mental illness were taboo topics and should be avoided talking about. Many people opted for the choice that none of the topics were taboo. However, herpes was still top when it came to the list of taboos.

Many people even claimed that they would avoid having a relationship with someone who has genital herpes, and even go as far as to break up with someone if they found out that their partner does have herpes.

People infected by herpes have a tough time telling their partner about the infection. Most fear their partners might leave them, yet they still would choose to explain their situation. 36% of the people carrying the genital herpes virus claimed they tell their partners regarding the matter long before they participate in any sexual activity. Sadly, over half the people with herpes are constantly worried when it comes to spreading herpes to their partner.

The poll also showed that people with herpes are not comfortable talking about the matter with their partners. They would rather make an excuse to avoid sexual activity rather than explain if they had a herpes outbreak.

by

The Neurological Impediments Connected To Genital Herpes

Highly responsible for neurological indisposition, genital herpes has managed to affect over 40 million individuals in the United States of America. This mind-boggling high number is said to be increasing at the rate of a million per year! Varicella zoster virus, herpes simplex virus type 1 and herpes simplex virus type 2, all have an impact on the patient’s nervous system. Below, we are talking about this in details:

The Initial Infection

Neurological diseases that are connected to genital herpes may get triggered due primary infection or the reactivation of the dormant genital herpes virus. Primary genital herpes in adolescents and adults can be void of symptoms, which is why they usually have no clue about it.

Dormancy and Reactivation

It is said that the neurons in the sacral ganglia are where the virus lies dormant. Although only the reactivation of oral herpes has only been studied so far, experts assume that the mechanism of that of genital herpes will not be too different. Dormant herpes infections reactivate with the help of systemic stimuli, via pathways that still have not been discovered or understood. It has been observed that most people struck with genital herpes shed a certain amount of the herpes virus, regardless of the reactivation of the virus.

The Neurological Difficulties

Not only is the meninges affected by the genital herpes virus by the occurrence of meningitis, the brain, nerve roots, retina, cranial nerves, etc. are affected too.

  • Neonatal Encephalitis
    About 70% of the infants that are infected by herpes are born to women who not only unaware of the fact that they had herpes, but also never showed any signs of the disease. At least 30% of the cases of herpes among infants are just oral herpes. There are several factors that prove to be risky for neonates, starting from the age of the mother to time during when the mother contracted herpes herself. Distribution of the virus to the central nervous system occurs in 70% of the herpes struck infants. Dispersed intravascular coagulations, skin lesions and unusual liver operation are observed in many of these neonates. Cranial MRIs show edema, then cystic encephalomalacia.
  • Recurrent Aseptic Meningitis Among Adults:
    This occurs due to herpetic mucocutaneous disorder, regardless of the presence of symptoms. From 19% to 42% patients experience meningitis with the first episode of type 2 herpes. Suppressive therapy could be used in this scenario: patient could take famciclovir, acyclovir sodium and valacyclovir hydrochloride. Many of these meningitis patients are known to complain about bad headaches, besides phases of total confusion.
  • Radiculopathy:
    40% of sacral dorsal root ganglia are seen having a latent form of herpes simplex virus type 2. This matter was unearthed during the autopsy of several individuals. Radiculopathy that is caused by genital herpes happens to affect specific areas, such as the sacral or lumbar nerve roots. Radiculopathy causes pain, leg weakness, constipation and even urinary retention. Radiculopathy could be cured in a matter of days or weeks, and could be hurried with the intake of antiviral drugs.
  • Retinal Necrosis:
    Shown with the presence of impaired vision and red eye, retinal necrosis seems to affect genital herpes patients (with a median age of about 20 years) and mostly older people. When examined properly, retinal necrosis shows retinal detachment, keratic precipitates and scleritis.
  • Ascending Myelitis:
    This is seen mostly in patients who have a weakened immune system, especially those who have already contracted the HIV virus. Along with pain and lesions, ascending myelitis also shows enlargement of the lower cord of the spine, added with limb numbness.
  • Cranial Neuropathy:
    The dysfunction of the cranial nerves leads to Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis. Even though there are experts who argue that Bell’s palsy cannot occur due to genital herpes, there are others who accept that varicella zoster virus and herpes simples type 1 virus do in fact cause Bell’s palsy. Whoever has such cases are recommended to take antiviral drugs everyday.

Connection Between Genital Herpes and HIV

Recent studies have found a connection between genital herpes virus and HIV. It seems that if you have genital herpes, there is twice or thrice the chance of you acquiring HIV too. Moreover, if you do have genital herpes and you are taking antiviral drugs as part of suppressive therapy, the RNA levels of HIV will show a significant drop too.

Treatment

Vidarabine phosphate was actually the first agent that showed efficacy when it came to treating herpes. After two large studies done on acyclovir, it was chosen as part of standard treatment/therapy for all herpes patients. An oral intake of valacyclovir is also recommended, along with the acyclovir.

Infants could take acyclovir sodium, while patients of meningitis, radiculitis and myelitis could have it too.

by

Is Herpes Actually Related To Angina Risk?

Angina is a form of chest pain that is the consequence of blocked blood vessels. It strikes more than 3 million people in the United States of America each year, causing discomfort and sometimes even causing a heart attack. A new, Canadian research has shown some devastating points: there happens to be a slightly higher chance of angina in some people who have a strain of herpes virus in their genes. Apparently, these people have thrice the risk of facing angina when compared to others. But here is the catch: the study is talking about just 1% of the world’s human population.

Angina PectorisLouis Flamand of Laval University of Quebec has said that there is no way to get rid of this problem since it is literally embedded in the person’s genetic make-up. But he also mentioned that preventive measures can be taken: these people could be observed for any progresses in any type of cardiovascular disease. Louis also added that he believes that new-borns should be tested for this, as part of a new routine. Louis mentioned that this risk could come about before the child is even born. According to him, when the new-born is just an egg or a sperm, it could be infected with that specific type of herpes virus. This virus is specifically known to cause a disease during childhood, called roseola.

Louis and his team carried out a study that involved 20000 people aged 40 t0 69 years old. This age range was observed since it is best known to have individuals with cardiovascular diseases of different types. After checking statistics properly, Louis and the team found that whoever had the genetic condition had from 3 to 10% chances of having angina. According to these experts, this strain of herpes virus helps clog the blood vessels, along with destructing the linings of arteries in the body.

Dr. Hugh Watkins of the University of Oxford disagrees with Louis; he says that new-borns need not be tested. According to Hugh, this strain of the herpes virus has just a tiny effect on angina. However, Louis has stated that he and his team wish to figure out how else this herpes virus affects the body.

For more questions about herpes, please read this post Top 10 Questions About Herpes Answered.

by

Can Herpes Lead To Cervical Cancer?

Quite some time ago, it was discovered that the herpes simplex virus type 2 plays a big role in cervical cancer. It seems the virus assists the human papillomavirus (HPV) to promote this type of cancer that is the reason behind thousands of women’s death each annual year.

According to a study done on a group of women with cervical cancer, around half of them had been struck by the herpes simplex virus 2 too, which led to the conclusion that has been mentioned above. However, this does not mean that all genital herpes patients that are women are prone to getting cervical cancer. The study’s main focus was to promote the regular visits to the nearest clinic or laboratory to get a Pap smear done. For those who do not know, the Pap smear tells the doctor and the patient if the papillomavirus is present in the patient’s body.

Herpes and CancerExperts say that at least 24 million Americans are attacked by the human papillomavirus, which happens to have at least 100 different strains. While there a few of these that only cause genital warts, others are transmitted via sexual contact with no protection used. The second type could be harmless though, which comes as a relief. Unfortunately, there are 14 types of human papillomavirus that lead to an aggressive case of cervical cancer. As a matter of fact, about 90% of all cervical cancer and other genital cancer cases are due to these 14 human papillomavirus.

A researcher known as Jennifer Smith has mentioned that female individuals that have been infected by both human papillomavirus and herpes simplex virus 2 are twice or thrice more likely to also get cervical cancer. Although this may seem scary and far-fetched, the study was carried out using the results from over 2000 women across continents like Europe, Asia and Latin America. Jennifer’s study even saw that Asian women had the highest rate of cervical cancer. Apparently, this study was done mostly in regions where Pap smears are not too easy to get done.

Since 1955, the death rate of cervical cancer has gone down by an astounding 74%, only due to the regular use of Pap smears. Therefore, today, cervical cancer has about a 100% cure rate, if a Pap smear is taken at the early stages of the cancer. Doctors advise women to come in for at least 2 or 3 Pap smear tests each year. While this is a great piece of information that gives hope to cervical cancer patients, it must be kept in mind that herpes has no permanent cure. Spread via unprotected sexual contact, herpes has now become a very common ailment in the United States of America. When triggered, the outbreaks, blisters and sores are painful and problematic.

The conclusion is that the presence of the genital herpes virus in the body is just one of the factors that promote cervical cancer. There are many other factors, such as early pregnancy and childbirth, high number of childbirths and smoking.

by

Are We Forgetting About Herpes?

Even just a decade ago, herpes was busy causing fear of the unknown, spreading across cities and countries like wildfire. Soon after, AIDS came to the rise and the world’s population sort of forgot about herpes. Sadly, the disease never left. Especially in the case of genital herpes, infected patients have been increasing in number since the 1970s. Today it has come to such a point, in the United States of America, one out of every five people has herpes, falling in the 12 and above age range.

Herpes type 2 is very different from type 1, which is also known as oral herpes, a condition that affects almost all children before they cross the age 5. Oral herpes gives rise to sores around the mouth region and on the lips, while genital herpes affects the body below the waist. Having type 1 herpes does not mean that you will certainly have genital herpes too. As experts explain, the two of them are separate diseases.

HerpesIn recent times, the media has been trying to raise awareness of herpes since it targets such a large portion of the human population. It is worst for youngsters, since they have a higher chance of contracting genital herpes. Studies and polls helped discover that over 40% of grade 9 students and more than 70% of high school students have sex, which is probably how the spread herpes to one another. What is upsetting is the fact that they do not know that they have acquired genital herpes, especially since there is a lack of symptoms on the body. As a matter of fact, out of all the people that have been diagnosed this year with herpes, only 10% were aware of genital herpes and its consequences.

Most individuals just assume that a fever or the flu has hit them, whenever they are being exposed to herpes. The primary sign/symptom of herpes are the sores and blisters, that people often mistaken for yeast infection, rashes or bug bite. The blisters could be rather painful, taking at last one week to reduce and disappear. Although individuals may feel guilty or upset later, they must understand that even physicians and doctors miss their case of herpes, sorely due to the lack of symptoms. The key is to approach a doctor who could help you with your problem. Now, this doctor could be your family doctor, a general physician, a gynaecologist or just a specialist. While there is a test to distinguish the two types of herpes, there are separate blood tests for both.

After getting infected, it takes about two week for the first outbreak to take place. From there on, the first year takes a little getting used to, with the recurrent outbreaks, the pain and all that extra work of taking care of the sores. Statistics show that women have a slightly higher percentage than men when it comes to the level of cases of herpes contraction. The mental effects are as bad as the physical ones; patients feel isolated, angry, betrayed, upset and lost. Even after all of this, many people are ready to dismiss herpes as an ever-increasing epidemic.

It has been noted that other sexually transmitted diseases are shadowed by AIDS, even though they are all serious too, requiring immediate medical attention. For instance, along with being incurable, herpes also appears as a threat to neonates. Expecting mothers could easily contract it and pass it on to their unborn foetus, causing him/her to have brain damage. The infant could also die to the virus.

Naturally, scientists are working hard to find a cure and a vaccine for herpes. This way, not only the herpes be cured, there will also be no more outbreaks, pain and blisters. Till a vaccine or a form of medication is found, patients are advised to take care of themselves and manage the outbreaks as best as they can. Moreover, the general public are encouraged to go in for herpes blood tests every now and then, since there is a large group of people who have herpes and do not even show it. This is highly risky and problematic for all people, since having any form of sexual contact would mean transferring the disease. Furthermore, this also proves to be scary for pregnant mothers.

Even though a vaccine has not been found, the treatment of genital herpes is being bettered day by day. It has also been heard that a drug that suppresses the virus shedding from people who are asymptomatic may be made in the near future. This will not only reduce the number of herpes patients, it will also give a ray of hope for all those asymptomatic herpes patients.

by

Transferring Herpes To Your Unborn Child

Today, herpes type 1 and 2 are spreading among people at a high rate, understandably causing distress. As unfortunate as it is, pregnant women could very well transfer herpes to their new-born via the process of child birth. It is quite rare to transmit the condition to your new-born baby; just about 1000-2000 infants acquire it via childbirth each year. However, it is clear that the ordeal is not easy or acceptable. These neonates could be provided with antiviral drugs, which will keep any form of permanent damage away. However, the rest of the infants that acquire herpes are not that lucky. They face several grave problems such as mental retardation, neurological disorders, and in the worst cases, death.

A Few Quick Facts Related To Herpes And Pregnancy

  • You can transfer the virus to your new-born if you are having an outbreak during the process of labour;
  • If you have acquired herpes before getting pregnant, it is less likely for you to transmit the condition to your infant;
  • On the other hand, if you acquired herpes sometime during the latter half of your pregnancy period, there is a good chance of you transferring it onto your child;
  • In very rare cases, expecting mothers transmit the infection through the placenta during the first trimester itself. In such a scenario, there is a likelihood of this herpes virus causing terrifying birth defects or a miscarriage.

Some Ways You Could Prevent The Transmission Of The Infection To Your New-Born

  • Let us start at the base: Please be careful about whom are you having sexual intercourse with. With the increasing prevalence of herpes in the world now, there is a chance that your partner has oral or genital herpes. Therefore, it would be foolish to indulge in any form of sexual contact with this person, be it around the genitals or close to their mouth. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a talk with them, assuring them that you do not have the condition, and clearing out whether or not they have it. As the phrase goes, better safe than sorry.
  • Even if you have sexual contact with an individual who has herpes, make sure to use latex condoms. While you will not be a 100% safe, the condoms still provide the best protection from contracting the disease from your partner.
  • Studies and polls have put a fact under spotlight: most expecting mothers put their infants at risk of catching the infection, only because they themselves do not know that they have herpes. This is why it is important that all women hear and learn about herpes, and try to figure out if they have the virus themselves.
  • Being aware alone is of no use either; there are several doctors and midwives who never consider the fact that the neonate may contract herpes. Hence, remind the fact to your midwife or obstetrician and ask them to take precautions accordingly.
  • For expecting mothers who could possibly transmit the infection to their new-born, a caesarean section is probably the most logical and safe thing to do.

Undergoing The Knife

Although midwives and doctors have been making use of this practice for over three decades, only now have we found proof that the best way to prevent a new-born from contracting herpes is by performing a Caesarean section on the pregnant mother. A study that appeared in an issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association proved this point. For this experiment, 202 expecting women who gave birth between the year 1982 and 1999, were observed. While 117 of these women delivered vaginally, the rest had the Caesarean section performed on themselves. Only ten of the neonates had contracted herpes, from which only one had been born via the Caesarean section.

As mentioned earlier, there is a better chance of you transmitting the virus if you are having an outbreak during delivery. This was proven when the mothers of the ten infants were among the 128 women who were having an outbreak during labour.

The study cleared out a few things for the researchers:

  • If the virus was present in the mother’s cervix, risk or transmission was high
  • Premature delivery proved to be a matter of concern too
  • Mothers who were facing the very first occurrence of herpes infection had a higher chance of passing it to their neonate.