How to Protect Yourself From Herpes if a Family Member Has It

Has your partner, or potential partner, recently informed yous that he or she has been diagnosed with genital canker? After thinking about information technology, did you determine to continue with the relationship, despite not existence infected with the virus that causes genital canker yourself? Congratulations — the two of you lot are now a "discordant couple," which means that ane of you lot has genital canker and the other doesn't. While you lot might have come to the determination that acquiring a herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection below the chugalug won't be the cease of the world, yous all the same might want tostay discordant — and practise everything you lot tin can to minimize chances of virus transmission.

Condoms, medication, and abstinence during outbreaks tin can reduce chance for canker transmission.

You can read all about canker elsewhere on this web log, but here's a quick rundown: Genital herpes tin can be acquired by one of two strains of the herpes simplex virus: HSV-i or HSV-2. While HSV-1 is more commonly associated with cold sores and HSV-2 is more unremarkably associated with genital herpes, either virus tin can infect the genital surface area. One estimate states that i out of 6 Americans between 14 to 49 years of historic period has a genital HSV-ii infection. Since genital canker infections tin also be caused by HSV-1, the number of people with genital herpes is actually college.

Disallowment full abstinence from all sexual activity, you won't be able to protect yourself completely from acquiring HSV — but there are many steps that you and your partner tin take to subtract risk. Studies on discordant couples show that viral transmission can be reduced with condoms, antiviral herpes medications, practicing abstinence when symptoms are present, and patient education.

Condoms

Latex condoms protect against most STDs, particularly fluid-borne infections similar HIV and gonorrhea. But condoms also provide some protection against STDs that are transmitted past skin-to-skin contact, including genital herpes. One large study found that safe usage was associated with lower rates of HSV-2 conquering — the more frequently someone used condoms, the lower the risk. Unsurprisingly, adventure was also associated with frequency of sex activity acts: People having vaginal or anal intercourse more than twice weekly were 77 per centum more likely to acquire HSV-ii than people having less sex.

Other studies have reached like conclusions, such as this study of monogamous, discordant couples, which institute that HSV-2-positive men who used condoms were much less probable to transmit the virus to their female person partners. Overall, for every ten,000 acts of vaginal or anal intercourse, 8.9 women acquired HSV-two from their male partners, while 1.five men acquired HSV-2 from their female partners. HSV-ii transmission also declined over the form of the study, possibly due to a decline in sexual action between partners as well every bit counseling to apply condoms and avoid sex during outbreaks.

It is difficult to perform good studies on the effect of condoms on disease transmission, considering it'south unethical to ask one grouping of test subjects non to use condoms, and possibly non realistic to expect another group to use condoms consistently and correctly. Therefore, researchers must rely on cocky-reported data from their subjects and trust that the information they are providing is reliable and that they were using condoms correctly. However, researchers believe that these types of flaws atomic number 82 to anunderestimation of condoms' effectiveness — so use 'em!

Herpes Medications (Suppressive Therapy)

A partner with genital herpes can consider daily herpes medications, such as acyclovir, which has been found to reduce viral shedding by as much as 94 percent. These medications, which are called "suppressive therapy" when taken daily, have not simply been shown to reduce recurring outbreaks in symptomatic sufferers, but as well to reduce asymptomatic shedding, offer another avenue for someone with genital herpes to protect his or her partner.

Other canker medications include valacyclovir, whose efficacy was studied by a team that constitute a daily 500 mg. dose offered a 48 percent reduction in chance. Not only did this drug reduce the number of herpes outbreaks experienced past the partners with HSV infections, but it reduced gamble for their HSV-negative partners, who were more than twice equally likely to acquire HSV-two from partners who were not taking suppressive therapy. For every one,000 sex acts there were 0.60 cases of male-to-female person herpes transmission and 0.23 female-to-male canker transmissions. Transmission rates were even lower among couples who used condoms.

There are many alternative remedies, such every bit plant-based preparations or dietary supplements, touted equally prevention against herpes outbreaks or transmission, only in general they are not supported by reliable show.

Abstinence During Outbreaks

When someone is experiencing symptoms of a genital herpes outbreak — blisters, itching, open or bloated sores, pain in the infected surface area — he or she is also "shedding virus," meaning that HSV can be transmitted to others. Someone also might be able to recognize alert signs of an impending outbreak, such as called-for, itching, or tingling sensations. When these types of symptoms are nowadays, information technology is imperative to exercise total abstinence until seven days after the sores heal. Considering condoms exercise not comprehend the entire genital surface area, they do not provide adequate protection from the virus (condoms should always exist used between outbreaks).

A partner with canker should besides avoid touching the sores, as he or she could transfer the virus to some other place on the body (such as the facial area), to a contact lens, or to another person. If you have touched a herpes sore, exist sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately afterward.

Unfortunately, about HSV transmissions occur during periods of asymptomatic shedding — when there are no outbreaks.

Patient Pedagogy

In the 1980s, earlier the common utilise of herpes medications similar acyclovir, ane group of researchers conducted a study on HSV-2-discordant couples. This represented a "best-case scenario" in that the couples were educated on recognizing mild or singular canker outbreaks, were counseled to practice abstinence until four days subsequently sores had healed, were taught about condom use, and were highly motivated to avoid HSV-2 transmission. They concluded that the risk of genital HSV transmission was:

• 10 per centum per twelvemonth, overall
• xx pct per year if the partner without genital herpes had not been previously infected with HSV-1 (the virus almost commonly associated with cold sores)
• 16 percent per yr in women who already carried HSV-one
• 32 percent per year in women who did non acquit HSV-1

Presumably, HSV transmission rates are college in the absenteeism of this didactics, safer sex practice, and want to mitigate risk. In this study, the factors that made the biggest departure in whether or not someone caught a genital HSV-2 infection from her partner was the consistent use of condoms and spermicide, fifty-fifty during asymptomatic periods.

If you have a genital HSV infection, you can enquire a sexual health skillful, such as a provider at Planned Parenthood, to educate you on how to exist more than aware of whatsoever cues that the virus is flaring upwardly. Although truly asymptomatic shedding does occur, patients can be made more aware of how to recognize mild or nonspecific symptoms that might signal an infectious period.

Other Strategies

A healthy immune arrangement can aid go on viral infections in bank check. While there are a lot of dietary supplements out there that claim to "heave" amnesty, there actually aren't whatsoever magic bullets to ensure a potent allowed organisation. The best things you can exercise to heave your amnesty are to quit smoking, eat a healthy diet, get plenty sleep, and avoid stress.

Some conditions, like an HIV infection or receiving chemotherapy for cancer, can compromise the allowed system, which tin can make information technology more than difficult for your body to control a herpes infection.

Planned Parenthood wellness centers accept condoms, tin can diagnose and treat herpes, offer patient teaching on canker symptoms and transmission, and can assist you decide if canker medications are right for you.

Tags: safer sexual activity, abstinence, herpes, safety, common cold sores, sexually transmitted infections, genital herpes, STI, sexual health, STD Awareness, HSV, HSV-2, drug, antiviral

Anna first volunteered for Planned Parenthood as a loftier schoolhouse student in the 1990s. Since and then, she has received a bachelor's caste from UC Berkeley and a main's degree in epidemiology from the University of Arizona. As an ode to her fascination with microbes, she writes the monthly STD Sensation series, as well as other pieces focusing on health and medicine.

plumwhart1948.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/planned-parenthood-advocates-arizona/blog/std-awareness-how-can-i-protect-myself-if-my-partner-has-herpes

Share this post