Herpes and Getting Wife Pregnant without infecting her

have been diagnosed with genital herpes about 2 years ago and married shortly thereafter.  My wife does not have herpes and we now want to start a family, without infecting her.  So condoms are no longer able to be used.  

What are the options and what is normal/common practice? or recommended by doctors?  Do couples trying to concieve (conceive) but want to avoid infecting thier partner just take the risk of unprotected sex during no outbreaks and the infected partner takes Valvex?  Or do couples opt for artificial insemination ?

[waringblender]

You can keep using the Valtrex while you forego the condoms. She still has a higher chance of not getting it from you than of being infected. Avoid sex while you have ANY unusual symptoms in the genital area.

You don't need to go the artificial insemination route unless you want to.

This may come as a shock to you, but most serodiscordant couples (1 person has herpes, the other doesn't) don't use ANY protection/medication and have healthy sex lives. Avoiding sex during obvious symptoms is the only thing most discordant couples do to prevent transmission. Your wife's risk of infection if you do that (not use medication or condoms) is about 8-10% per YEAR. So you can see that there is still a higher chance of not being infected than of getting it.

1 out of 4 people in the U.S. has genital herpes. Out of those people, how many do you think are in discordant relationships? Probably a lot. And 90% of those infected people don't even know they have herpes. Artificial insem couldn't possibly  be the overwhelming choice of most discordant couples to have a pregnancy - the numbers speak against it.

[bobinhk]

Thanks alot.   That was a question I just dont seem to get a grasp of.   Another factor is wife is 40 now, so later age and risk of infection is pushing her to want to pursue artificial insemination for pregnancy.  Still trying to decide.

[Johndoe12358]

Maybe you didnt read what he/she wrote above you ill copy and paste it for you !



Your wife's risk of infection if you do that (not use medication or condoms) is about 8-10% per YEAR. So you can see that there is still a higher chance of not being infected than of getting it.