Genital HSV-1 female, & Genital HSV-2 Partner

[jaynarod]

I was diagnosed with genital HSV-1 Dec/2008 since then I had not had a single recurrent outbreak till this months 10/2009. Well, in February 2009 I began to date my boyfriend who has genital HSV-2. Things are getting serious. I have caught up on my knowledge of neonatal herpes. I yet lack a full understanding of the risks of having a non-primary 1st episode during pregnancy. Will the risk of the baby contracting neonatal herpes be the same as a primary 1st episode during pregnancy? I tried to speak to to my ob/gyn about this but he wasn't understanding my question and said, "who cares you still would need a c-section". If I do not require a c-section, I will choose not too. Too many doctors opt for the surgery when not needed. There is a greater risk for something to go wrong in a c-section then there is in having a vaginal birth.  I have the anti-bodies for HSV-1, would my body then react and attack the HSV-2 because they share about 50% of the DNA or is that not suffecient enough? Also, from my understanding if you have HSV-1 oral you have an immunity to HSV-1 genital. Is this correct? If you if I get HSV-2 oral would that provide the same immunity for me to get HSV-2 in the genitals? I do understand that while the virus is dormant it retreats to different areas depending on the site of preference, whether genital or oral.  Neither my boyfriend or myself are on suppressive therapy. I had my 1st recurrent outbreak last week, I didn't notice that I was having an outbreak, well I didn't know what the signs a recurring one would   feel like. My boyfriend and I did have intercourse the day before I noticed lesions on my libia and he didn't have an outbreak. He did take his Valtrex that day as precaution. Wow so many questions.. I appreciate any responses.

Thanks!

[gracefromHHP]

Are you pregnant or just thinking about the future when you want to start a family?

I recommend that your bf start daily suppressive therapy to help greatly reduce your risk of contracting hsv2. If you can avoid getting it for pregnancy, why not take better precautions and do so? Your hsv1 won't protect you from hsv2 as far as we know.

We don't know how much protection contracting hsv2 orally would give from contracting it genitally later on.  we don't have enough folks with hsv2 orally only to study it ( not many people have hsv2 orally plus of those who do, most also have it genitally too ). What few mentions of it we do have, it doesn't seem to be 100% protection.

Just taking valtrex that day, is no protection at all for you from your bf's hsv2 if that was why he took it.

grace

[jaynarod]

Thanks Grace.

I am thinking about a future when I will begin to start my family. I want to have as much information as possible. Whether the risk are the same for a baby getting neonatal herpes if the mother contracts HSVII during her pregnancy and does not have HSVI genital, VS the mother already having HSVI genital?

From the looks of it, they (HSVI &HSVII) in the end continue to be similar viruses, but different. So I might conclude that the risk are just as high and maybe higher because of the pre-existing genital HSVI. So it is possible to display both types of the virus genitally. How many viruses can I possibly be a walk petri dish for? Little dry humor there... Hey, you learn to live with what you have and educate yourself as much as possible.

He took the valtrex that day to prevent himself from having an outbreak. Although looking back I see that it did not make much sense, since I was the one having the outbreak and it was type I. He already has the antibodies for type I because he has it oral. I on the other hand do not have type II and never had a cold sore; which set me up for getting HSV1 genital in the first place.  

-Jessie

[gracefromHHP]

At this point I recommend that he goes on daily suppressive therapy.  He can use acyclovir or famvir if he doesn't have insurance that makes valtrex more affordable but valtrex is going generic in 2 months so it'll be cheaper then if his insurance makes generics cheaper. The option of only taking 1 pill a day to control your herpes is just more convenient for most folks.  


Should you get another genital herpes recurrence anytime soon, not a bad idea to be seen and get it typed to make sure that it's not hsv2 that you picked up just to err on the side of caution. If you are only getting recurrences of your herpes yearly or less often then it could still be your hsv1 genitally but if you start getting them more often then it's time to see if you picked up hsv2 from him or not.  Otherwise it's up to you and your doctor how often you want to be screened for hsv2.  My recommendations are no more often than yearly unless you get obvious genital symptoms to get cultured.  it's just not worth the stress and the cost when it's a long term relationship.  

When you decide to become pregnant or find out you are pregnant, repeat your hsv2 igg at that time. If it's negative, discuss what precautions to take to reduce your odds of contracting hsv2 during pregnancy as well as discuss what precautions to take for the last month of pregnancy to help reduce the odds that your hsv1 will reoccur around the time of delivery. It's actually recommended that if you are hsv2 negative at your 3rd trimester to avoid sex until after delivery but if you chose not to, make sure your partner is on daily suppressive therapy and you are using condoms.  

Hsv2 is more of an issue than hsv1 is genitally when you deliver. when you get pregnant, come back and we'll help you way more then I promise :)  

You want me to pass you the  "warning :biohazzard" tape to wrap around your nether regions? he he he

grace

[jaynarod]

Thanks again Grace..


I actually did get an igg this Monday. My gynocologist was really reluctant in doing it, saying it doesn't make a difference. I tried explaining my reasoning, but he wasn't hearing me and said you will be having a c- section regardless.I was steaming, turned around and told him to simply do it. I couldn't stop thinking,  "Are you serious? Do I really need to explain this to you?". Well, I am still waiting on those results.

Fortunately, both of us do have insurance and valtrex is covered by both parties. the complication now arise in me bringing up the topic. It is difficult enough to know you have herpes and the entire stigma behind it. It has effected him more than myself. The fact that I am surrounded in a scientific enviroment and already had an understanding of how it functioned eased the initial shock in the beginning. I was able to turn and talk to my coworkers. I was one of the few lucky ones. That was not his case grew up in a small town, narrow mind atmosphere. He was reluctant in dating me in the beginning soley because he type II and I type I. I had to turn around and tell him you are not defined by what you have but by who you are. Now here I am going to turn around after almost 11months of dating and say, "Oh.. yeah.. umm can you begin taking valtrex now?" It won't be so simple for me to bring up the topic, but if in deed this is going anywhere I should. But, first lets get those igg results...

Jessie

[gracefromHHP]

why not pick up Terri Warren's new book "the good news about the bad news" and start reading it when he's around. When he asks why let him know that you realized you don't know enough about your own herpes and pregnancy and such and the book was recommended to you. When you get thru it tell him that now that you know more, you really would like him to start suppressive therapy to help reduce your infection risk of hsv2 for some extra added peace of mind for pregnancy one day.  Might be worth the $15 cost of the book on many levels :)

Glad you smacked him upside the head a bit and reminded him that he's so much more than herpes too :)

grace