To help prevent it from spreading to others:. Be especially careful not to touch your eyes. If HSV-1 gets into the eyes, it can cause a lot of damage. Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Are Cold Sores? But it can wake up again later from things like: other infections a fever sunlight cold weather menstrual periods stress , like before a big test at school When the virus reactivates, it can cause tingling and numbness around the mouth before blisters appear.
What Causes Cold Sores? How Are Cold Sores Treated? If you have an active genital outbreak, you should avoid any below-the-belt activity until it clears.
Although the virus is less likely to spread when no symptoms are present, practicing sex with a condom or another barrier method, such as a dental dam , can help reduce the overall risk for transmission.
You may also consider talking to your healthcare provider about prescription antiviral medication, such as:. In rare cases, herpes can be transmitted during pregnancy or childbirth. Reassurances about genital herpes during pregnancy and birth. The CDC notes that any potential vaccines are being tested in clinical trials.
Genital herpes — CDC fact sheet. If you contract HSV, the goal is to keep your immune system functioning at a high level to help prevent active outbreaks from occurring. This family is known as Herpesviridae. Most adults carry at least one form of herpes virus, if not more.
You may also find comfort in knowing that when symptoms are present, the first outbreak is generally the most severe.
Once the initial outbreak clears, you may not experience another flare-up for many months, if at all. If you have questions about treatment, see a healthcare provider. They can advise you on any next steps. There are two types of herpes: oral and genital. Find out what each type of herpes feels like. If you think you may have herpes, see a doctor as soon…. Herpes is a very common condition. At-home STI testing kits are becoming increasingly popular.
Check out this roundup of the best at-home herpes tests to find out everything you need to…. The herpes virus is the most infectious just before, during, and after an outbreak — when blisters are present. Blood tests are not always accurate and testing for herpes can be tricky. It can take two weeks to six months after being exposed to herpes before it is detected in the blood.
To make matters more complicated, if you are low risk for herpes and asymptomatic, it increases your risk of a false positive result. Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommends against routine testing for herpes unless you or your partner have symptoms. The most accurate test is when you are able to take a swab sample from a new herpes lesion, but often times the diagnosis is made by a clinician based on your history and report of symptoms.
Because the blood test can be expensive and inaccurate, it is not typically included in a sexually transmitted disease evaluation unless you ask your provider for it specifically. These myths exaggerate the true risk of herpes in pregnancy. Infants are generally at risk only if they pass through a birth canal while their mother has an active HSV lesion. We carefully examine women in labor if they have a history of HSV, and if a lesion is seen, a C-section is advised.
Medication is often used during the last few weeks of pregnancy to decrease viral shedding and reduce the risk of an outbreak on the day of childbirth.
For the vast majority of women, HSV infection has no consequences in pregnancy. You can still have sex. A diagnosis of genital herpes is not the end of your sex life. If one partner has a history of HSV infection, medication can be used to decrease viral shedding and reduce the risk of sexual transmission of the virus.
Condoms can drive this risk even lower.
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