What to do if pregnant women have genital herpes

Genital herpes is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease. It usually occurs around the vulva and anus, which is very harmful to human health. Genital herpes has a relatively high recurrence rate, so it is a disease that is difficult to cure. It will bring great psychological pressure to patients. Pregnant women are a special group of people. What should pregnant women do with genital herpes?

What is genital herpes in pregnant women?

One of the causes of genital herpes in pregnant women is direct sexual contact. If a woman has sexual intercourse with a person with genital herpes before or during pregnancy, the herpes virus can be transmitted to the woman's body through direct sexual contact, making her a genital herpes patient. Patients may also transmit the virus to their unborn babies.

The cause of genital herpes in pregnant women may also be indirect transmission. For example, pregnant women live with genital herpes for a long time, and the dishes and various daily necessities are not isolated. The immunity of pregnant women is reduced due to pregnancy, which gives genital herpes an opportunity to take advantage of and then become genital herpes patients.

The current conservative treatment for genital herpes during pregnancy mainly focuses on taking measures to relieve symptoms. Patients should usually increase their physical exercise, such as walking and other sports to improve their body's immunity. Change your underwear frequently and it’s best to wear cotton underwear that’s more breathable. You can also ask your doctor to prescribe some topical medication for application.

What to do if pregnant women have genital herpes

1. Pregnant women with herpes for the first time can take oral medications. If there are serious complications that may be life-threatening, they can take intravenous medications (use as little as possible in the first three months of pregnancy).

2. For pregnant women with no active skin lesions, vaginal delivery is allowed, but after delivery, the newborn must be closely monitored to see if they have fever, lethargy, weak sucking, convulsions, or skin lesions so that timely treatment can be provided.

3. Among pregnant women who develop genital herpes at full term, the risk of their newborns being infected with HSV is extremely high, and these newborns can be given preventive treatment.

4. For pregnant women with active skin lesions or prodromal symptoms, cesarean section can be performed before rupture of membranes if there are no contraindications, but cesarean section cannot completely prevent the occurrence of neonatal herpes.

5. For those with frequent recurrences or recent infections, drug treatment can be used near full term to reduce the occurrence of active lesions, thereby reducing the cesarean section rate.

It is generally believed that women may become ill during pregnancy because they have had unclean sexual behavior before pregnancy or because the pregnant woman shares toiletries with patients with genital herpes. Moreover, the genital herpes virus has an incubation period, and the disease will occur when the pregnant woman’s immunity is low.