Do They Test For Herpes When Youre Pregnant
In general, herpes testing is not recommended during pregnancy. However, there is an exception for people with symptoms.
If you have symptoms of herpes during pregnancy, your doctor will likely recommend testing. Thats particularly true if you have never had symptoms in the past.
Herpes Doctor Discussion Guide
Herpes More Common In Women
Slightly more women have herpes than men. Where its one in four women, its one in five who are positive. Thats just because of the nature of female genitalia: plenty of soft tissue is exposed for skin contact, which is presumably more receptive to any virus or STD.
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Pid And Tubal Factor Infertility
Problems with the fallopian tubes is a leading cause of female infertility and such problems can be caused by STDs. PID is one cause of what is called tubal factor infertility. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine reports that 25%35% of female infertility is due to tubal factors. If the fallopian tubes are damaged or blocked, this can result in infertility in two ways: it can prevent sperm from reaching the egg in the fallopian tube for fertilization, and it can prevent a fertilized egg from entering the uterus to implant for pregnancy.
Shanna lost her fallopian tubes but not her hope of having a child
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The Risk Changes If You Contract Herpes During Pregnancy
It is worse to contract genital HSV when you are pregnant. Contracting Herpes during pregnancy can lead to easy miscarriage if the infection occurs near the third trimester. You can pass on the herpes virus to your unborn child during delivery if you have an outbreak, as the virus can remain in the birth canal. The herpes virus can cause severe damage to the babys nervous system and potentially lead to death.
Hence, it is crucial to talk to your doctor if you suspect that you might have herpes during your pregnancy. Your doctor might prescribe you antiviral drugs that can significantly reduce the risk of any future outbreaks.
How Do Prior Herpes Outbreaks Affect My Pregnancy
If youve had previous herpes outbreaks, they wont necessarily affect your pregnancy. Unless you have an outbreak during pregnancy, no treatment is needed or recommended.
There is some limited evidence that suppressive therapy starting at 36 weeks of gestation may be helpful. However, in the absence of outbreaks, there is no need to change your pregnancy or delivery plans.
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Testing And Treatment For Herpes
The only way to know if you have herpes for sure is to get tested, which you can do in your doctor’s office, or a clinic like Planned Parenthood. Make sure you ask your healthcare provider to specifically screen for herpes if you’re getting tested for STIs. If you have a sore or blister, the doctor will take a sample of fluid and evaluate it. There is also a blood test for herpes. Talk to a health care provider about your testing options to figure out whats right for you.
Herpes is a virus, so it can’t be cured. But it can be managed with medicine, which can prevent future outbreaks and the chance that you could give it to someone else. Your doctor can also prescribe medicine to help ease your symptoms when you’re having an outbreak.
Will I Need A C
Once you go into labor, well carefully examine you for genital lesions. If we see something suspicious, we will recommend a C-section.
If you have no symptoms and no sores in the genital region, a vaginal delivery may be safe. Lesions can sometimes appear in other areas, such as the legs or back. If this is the case, well cover them to make sure the baby doesnt come into contact with them.
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What Are The Consequences Of Giving The Infection To A Baby
Neonatal herpes is a serious condition, and in some cases, it can even be fatal. Neonatal herpes can cause different symptoms, which can be categorized as:
- Skin, eye, or mouth disease, a localized infection that doesnt affect other organs.
- Central nervous system disease, which causes encephalitis with or without SEM disease.
- Disseminated disease, which can involve the CNS, liver, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, adrenal glands, and SEM disease.
If a baby is born by vaginal delivery to a mother with a primary HSV infection during late pregnancy, they will usually receive antiviral treatment. These babies also need to be monitored and different tests are carried out to determine whether they have contracted the virus. The babys medical team will decide how to treat them depending on the severity of their infection.
How Do I Talk With People About Having Herpes
It might feel scary to admit you have herpes, but talking about things can really ease your mind. You could lean on a close, non-judgmental friend that you trust to keep the conversation private. Parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and other family members can also be a source of comfort. Remember, herpes is really common, so its possible the person youre talking to has herpes, too.
There are a lot of online support groups for people who have herpes, and the American Sexual Health Association has a list of support groups that meet in person.
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Genital Herpes Treatment During Pregnancy
Women taking antiviral drugs for herpes — either daily suppressive therapy or occasional therapy for outbreaks — should consult their doctor about whether to take the drugs during pregnancy. The answer is not set in stone: You and your doctor have to discuss the risks and benefits to decide what’s right for you.
For pregnant women with a history of genital herpes, the doctor might recommend daily doses of an antiviral medication during the month before their due date.
Herpes infection in a newborn is also serious. Do not allow anyone with a cold sore on the mouth to kiss the baby. If you have a cold sore, don’t kiss the baby, and wash hands with soap and water before touching the baby.
Herpes Treatment During Pregnancy
If you are experiencing symptoms that could be associated with herpes, discuss those symptoms with your doctor. In general, treatment is recommended for symptomatic herpes infections. However, people without symptoms generally are not treated during early pregnancy.
Near the time of delivery, obstetricians recommend using suppressive therapy to reduce the risk of a late-term outbreak. This daily treatment is generally started at 36 weeks of gestation and continued through delivery. Preventing an outbreak may also reduce the risk of needing a C-section instead of being able to deliver vaginally.
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How Can I Manage Herpes During Pregnancy
There is no evidence to suggest pregnancy causes flare-ups. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says 75% of pregnant women who have herpes, however, can expect to have an outbreak during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, you should watch for symptoms of the virus becoming active, such as tingling, itching, or burning around where the sore will eventually appear.
If you have a history of herpes , your provider may prescribe an antiviral medication such as acyclovir to reduce the risk of spreading the virus or having an outbreak around the time of your delivery.
We typically recommend starting an antiviral at 36 weeks or sooner if you are at risk for preterm birth. The antiviral medications are safe during pregnancy. In fact, we can give the same medications to your baby if needed.
How Does Herpes Affect Fertility
Herpes HHV-6A was found to have a possible connection to unexplained infertility according to a small study published in the journal PLOS One. Approximately 43 percent of the 30 women in the study with unexplained infertility were found to have infections in their uterine lining. This is not the traditional herpes virus that causes cold sores and genital herpes, which has not been found to affect fertility. Herpes can cause complications when trying to conceive should an outbreak occur, requiring intercourse to be postponed. Should a woman experience an outbreak when going into labor, the baby must be born via C-section to prevent passing the infection on.
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Genital Herpes And Early Pregnancy First And Second Trimester
Having a primary infection of genital herpes at this time will not affect the baby or cause a miscarriage. We now know there is no evidence for herpes causing a miscarriage when a mother catches genital herpes in the first three months although we used to think that there was an increased risk. Catching herpes will not cause miscarriage.
Having outbreaks during pregnancy is normal. These will not harm the baby. Some women have more outbreaks during pregnancy. You may choose to take aciclovir 400 mg three times daily from 36th week of pregnancy to ensure you dont have an outbreak at term.
Pregnancy Alternatives When You Have Genital Herpes
If you prefer not take a risk of sharing the virus through unprotected sex, you and your partner might want to consider alternate ways to have a family. These options include the following:
- Artificial insemination – You can work with a doctor to get with your partner’s or donor’s sperm without skin-to-skin sexual contact.
- In vitro fertilization – In vitro fertilization, which can be complex and expensive, involves combining the egg and sperm outside the body and then transferring fertilized embryos to the uterus.
- Surrogacy – If you have the virus and your partner doesn’t and you want to avoid the concerns of transmitting herpes to your baby during pregnancy, you might want to consider using a surrogate to carry the baby. The cost of surrogacy can also be expensive.
For most people, having a diagnosis of genital herpes can be stressful and life-changing. Because there is no cure, trying to get pregnant can be challenging but not impossible. And other options are available.
Knowing the essentials about the virus and how to decrease the chance of infecting your partner , and how and when to time intercourse can help you get pregnant safely. Talk to your doctor for more help and insight.
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How Can A Baby Become Infected
Approximately 85 percent of neonatal herpes infections occur during delivery. This happens when the mother is shedding the virus from her genitourinary tract. As the baby passes through the birth canal, they can become infected with HSV.
Approximately 85 percent of neonatal herpes infections occur during delivery. Around 10 percent of all cases of neonatal herpes is contracted after birth.
In-utero transmission only accounts for approximately five percent of all cases of neonatal herpes. A baby can also contract an HSV infection after birth, usually from being kissed by someone who has active oral herpes. They can also get the virus while breastfeeding if there are any open sores on their mothers nipples or areolas. Around 10 percent of all cases of neonatal herpes is contracted after birth.
Stds & Fertility: Can You Get Pregnant With A Sexually Transmitted Disease
Past and present sexual health can play an important role in fertility. Some sexually transmitted diseases can leave scarring and inflammation which make it more difficult to conceive, even after the infection has been treated.
For women, this scarring usually occurs as a side effect of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease which develops as a secondary infection after contracting an STD. Having an active STD while pregnant may also have consequences for the health of the baby. Increasingly, the term STD is being replaced with STI, or sexually transmitted infection. This is to underline that many people can be infected without showing symptoms or developing a disease. Someone with an asymptomatic STI may still be at risk of passing on the infection to a partner or baby, or may eventually develop symptoms later.
Discussing your sexual health status can be uncomfortable, but it is an essential part of planning for a baby. The good news is that if you do have a history of a sexually transmitted infection, there are treatments which can help. Understanding how an STI can affect your fertility and what to do about it is important for any patient who wants to get pregnant after an STI.
Here is a look at some of the STDs, their potential impact on fertility and how you and your doctors can overcome fertility challenges and minimize risk before you get pregnant.
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What If I Have An Sti That Cant Be Cured
It can be a very anxious time if you find out you have a STI that cant be cured. It is possible though for women living with an incurable STI to get pregnant safely and have a healthy baby, as long as the STI is treated and managed well.
Talk to your doctor or nurse. Its important that you understand your condition and what you need to do to stay healthy and get pregnant safely
STIs such as HIV and herpes can be treated with antiviral and other medicine to bring down the risk of passing the infection to your baby so make sure that your midwife or doctor know if you have something.
Always check with your doctor or nurse that any medications you are prescribed are suitable for conception.
Remember that even if you have no STIs when you conceive, its still advised to practice safe sex through your pregnancy,
What Can Be Done
- Antiviral medication: Drugs such as Zovirax or Valtrex can be taken during pregnancy, particularly in the last trimester or weeks, to cut down the chance of an outbreak before delivery. There is no evidence of these medications causing serious side effects in babies whose mothers were treated during pregnancy.
- Precautions in the delivery room: Your birth team can examine the birth canal in early labor for any signs of herpes lesions. They can avoid puncturing the bag of water, which may help to protect the baby from the virus. They can also use external monitors rather than scalp monitors for the baby and minimize the use of forceps or suction, all of which prevents creating tiny punctures in the babyâs scalp.
- Cesarean section: If your doctor feels there is significant risk of transmission during birth, they may recommend a C-section.
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How To Get Pregnant With Herpes
- #1 04-08-2009 05:06 PM by mocha26how to get pregnant with herpes
- #2 04-08-2009 05:27 PM by angeleyz81Re: how to get pregnant with herpesQuote:Originally Posted by mocha26how to get pregnant with herpesHi I am not sure I know what you are asking. You can conceive the normal way.. yes there is a risk your partner may catch herpes but that risk is there even when using a condom.You can have a healthy baby even if you have herpes.. they may place you on valtrex the last month to try to prevent an OB.. but worst case you can always have a C-section Here are the Female to Male transmission ratesIf you have 100 couples where the female has HSV 2 but not the male the odds of female to male transmission are if you do nothing other than avoid sex during an outbreak 4 men out of a 100 will get herpes in a year or 4% If you do go on a suppressive therapy then it drops to 2 men out of a 100 in a year or 2% and if you use suppressive and a condom the chances are 1 man out of a 100 will get herpes in one year or 1%.The valtrex and transmission study stats are based on having sex 2 times/week.
Managing Genital Herpes During Pregnancy
If youre pregnant and you have genital herpes, you may be concerned about the risk of spreading the infection to your baby. Be reassured that the risk is extremely smallespecially if you have had herpes for some time. The following steps can help make the risk even smaller:
Remember, the odds are strongly in favor of your having a healthy baby.
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The Risks Change If You Contract Herpes During Pregnancy
Contracting genital herpes during pregnancy is a different story it can lead to miscarriage or early labor, especially if it occurs in the third trimester. Neonatal herpes can be transmitted to the baby when herpes is present in the birth canal during delivery. If it is, it can lead to damage to the nervous system and even death. This is why it’s super important to visit your doctor if you suspect you might have herpes, or if you think you’ve been exposed your doctor can prescribe antivirals to reduce the possibility of an outbreak.
Stds Affecting Infertility In Women And Male Infertility
STDs are a group of more than 20 diseases that can cause specific health complications. When these infections are left untreated, there can be irreversible damage present often leading to infertility.
The connection between STDs and male infertility is not completely clear, according to a report published by the National Institutes of Health. But they can have a direct effect on male sexual performance such as erectile dysfunction. A significant aspect of STDs in males affecting fertility is that the diseases are passed on to the female, causing infertility in her.
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