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GHSV-1 and Pregnancy?
Hello,
I was diagnosed with GHSV-1 about three years ago. I'm now in a committed relationship with someone (not the person I contracted it from), and I'm beginning to think long-term.
My major concern is pregnancy. I don't plan on having children for at least 2-3 years, but of course I've been reading internet forums which, frankly, scare the crap out of me. I'm devastated at the thought of a future child contracting neonatal herpes. My gynecologist has told me repeatedly it's unlikely, but I would like more assurance. I hear the likelihood is something like 1%, but even that 1% scares me.
I also hear you can go on Valtrex in the later stages of pregnancy, but I'm not sure how safe that would be, given the current stats on Autism, etc.
As a side-note, I'm not sure if my partner has oral HSV-1, but I can tell you I haven't transmitted GHSV-1 to him in the almost two years we've been together. I'm happy about that, but I sometimes still get upset about the thought of transmission. It's difficult having GHSV-1 because I don't know anyone else with it (at least no one who talks about it, of course), and I feel very alone sometimes. I'm over the initial shock and depression of it, and my life is normal as always, but I have my moments. I told my boyfriend when we first started dating, but he brushed it off (bless him) and we haven't talked about it since.
Any input, or anyone that can give me their experience, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
I was diagnosed with GHSV-1 about three years ago. I'm now in a committed relationship with someone (not the person I contracted it from), and I'm beginning to think long-term.
My major concern is pregnancy. I don't plan on having children for at least 2-3 years, but of course I've been reading internet forums which, frankly, scare the crap out of me. I'm devastated at the thought of a future child contracting neonatal herpes. My gynecologist has told me repeatedly it's unlikely, but I would like more assurance. I hear the likelihood is something like 1%, but even that 1% scares me.
I also hear you can go on Valtrex in the later stages of pregnancy, but I'm not sure how safe that would be, given the current stats on Autism, etc.
As a side-note, I'm not sure if my partner has oral HSV-1, but I can tell you I haven't transmitted GHSV-1 to him in the almost two years we've been together. I'm happy about that, but I sometimes still get upset about the thought of transmission. It's difficult having GHSV-1 because I don't know anyone else with it (at least no one who talks about it, of course), and I feel very alone sometimes. I'm over the initial shock and depression of it, and my life is normal as always, but I have my moments. I told my boyfriend when we first started dating, but he brushed it off (bless him) and we haven't talked about it since.
Any input, or anyone that can give me their experience, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Thanks Grace. I don't know anyone who has gone through this before, so it's nice to have a forum like this when I have my moments of paranoia.
if your partner hasn't been tested for herpes yet to know his status, you need to get him tested!! you two can't make educated decisions about what precautions to take until you know who has what. if he has hsv2, you should be taking precautions to reduce your chances of contracting that from him. if you didn't both cover your other std testing bases properly, make sure you do that too.
you think a less than 1% risk of transmission is too high? Did you know hat the general risk of having a baby with a birth defect is 3%? would you not get pregnant because it could be born with health problems when the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor of them not having one?? There are never any guarantees with pregnancy - herpes is at least something we can take active steps to reduce the risk to your baby.
so what do we do when a pregnant woman has genital herpes? Well if you want, you can go on suppressive therapy in the pregnancy doses. there are no known long term issues in children born to mother's who used herpes antivirals during pregnancy. it is not associated with autism. you don't even have to take the antivirals if you don't want to. they don't reduce the risk of transmission of herpes to a baby but they do reduce the odds of having a recurrence near the time of delivery so that you can deliver vaginally. should you have a recurrence near the time of delivery, a c section will be done to protect your child during delivery.
keep asking questions!
grace
you think a less than 1% risk of transmission is too high? Did you know hat the general risk of having a baby with a birth defect is 3%? would you not get pregnant because it could be born with health problems when the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor of them not having one?? There are never any guarantees with pregnancy - herpes is at least something we can take active steps to reduce the risk to your baby.
so what do we do when a pregnant woman has genital herpes? Well if you want, you can go on suppressive therapy in the pregnancy doses. there are no known long term issues in children born to mother's who used herpes antivirals during pregnancy. it is not associated with autism. you don't even have to take the antivirals if you don't want to. they don't reduce the risk of transmission of herpes to a baby but they do reduce the odds of having a recurrence near the time of delivery so that you can deliver vaginally. should you have a recurrence near the time of delivery, a c section will be done to protect your child during delivery.
keep asking questions!
grace
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
