Jessica's Herpes Blog

Genital Herpes and Pregnancy

2012-01-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

Herpes is an active long-term infection (that is why it is called a sexually transmitted infections STI), that can affect your body and health in a variety of ways, including both your ability to get pregnant and sustain a pregnancy to give birth to a healthy fulltime infant.

The facts surrounding genital herpes and pregnancy can sometimes be confusing to understand because there are so many differing options circulating within the medical community.

While it is generally understood that a baby will not contract the disease during delivery if no open sores or blisters are present, most doctors still recommend a C-section for the safety of the baby. This can leave many women confused about how their herpes can and will affect their pregnancy and unborn baby.

Let’s start with what we do know: herpes does not seem to affect fertility in the least. Other than the fact that it can delay a couple’s efforts in trying to conceive during an outbreak (when the couple must abstain from sexually intercourse), research indicates that it does not seem to cross over into other reproductive areas.

There is no evidence to support claims that it can lower a man’s sperm count or a woman’s ability to conceive in the first place. It does, however, offer some unique problems in regards to conception and pregnancy. The biggest being what we already discussed: times of sexually abstaining due to an outbreak of the virus. This can leave some couple’s trying for months to get pregnant due to a lack of availability.

The second factor that must be considered when dealing with herpes and pregnancy is the chance of the baby contracting the disease during delivery. In most cases, the doctor will suggest that the mother undergo a C-section even if she is asymptomatic because of the slight chance that the virus could be undergoing viral shedding at the time of delivery.

Viral shedding is a period of time in which the virus reproduces itself and becomes just as contagious as it can be during an active outbreak. The problem is, there is no way to know when this viral shedding is occurring (it shows no signs and has no symptoms). Even a doctor can not tell you when viral shedding is occurring and there are no tests to check for it.

Since a baby will likely contract the herpes disease during delivery if there is any sort of viral shedding or active outbreak, many doctors prefer to use caution and perform a C-section for the health and safety of the baby. Others, however, may agree to a vaginal birth as long as no sores or blisters are detected wither in the genital area or deep within the vagina.

Why the difference I opinion? Some researchers believe that taking such precautions (even during an active outbreak) are unnecessary because the mother passes along antibodies to her baby via her bloodstream throughout the pregnancy, making the baby immune to the herpes virus during and after the delivery. Still more research is needed in this area to ensure that a baby is not put at risk of the virus due to these antibodies.

There are two exceptions to be aware of in regards to the dangers of genital herpes and pregnancy:

1. When the first herpes episode is experienced in the first trimester of pregnancy. This is when the virus is strongest and can cause miscarriage.
2. When the first herpes episode experienced in the third trimester of pregnancy. In this case, the baby has not had the time to develop the proper antibodies and resistance to the virus, in which case neonatal herpes may develop, which can result in infant death or stillborn at delivery.

Of course for either of these scenarios to happen, the mother would have to contract the disease during her pregnancy and exhibit symptoms (and active attack) during the first or last weeks of the pregnancy; which is rare indeed. Women who have already been herpes victims prior to their pregnancy, these two scenarios are not something to worry about.

In short, genital herpes does not have to adversely affect your pregnancy or the health of your baby. As long as you understand any risks that may entail and take the necessary steps to improve your chances of a good outlook your baby should be just fine. Talk to your doctor about what precautions he/she recommends during delivery and report any active outbreaks immediately to eliminate any concerns for the health and well being of either yourself or your baby.

For more detailed information about genital herpes and pregnancy, contact the Herpes Hotline at 919-361-8488 or the CDC Hotline at 1-800-232-4636. They can give you the most up to date information about herpes and pregnancy.

Can You Get Rid of Herpes

2012-01-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

Herpes is a virus that stays within your system for a lifetime. Once you contract it, it never leaves your body. Sure, it may seem to go away for weeks, months or even years without its victim experiencing any of its uncomfortable symptoms. Lying dormant. Herpes seems to disappear, but eventually, as its victims know all-too-well the virus will become active again and a painful outbreak will occur.

With no known cure for either the Herpes Simplex I (mouth sores) virus or the Herpes Simplex II (genital herpes) viruses, those who are inflicted with the disease look to all sorts of places for help. This leaves many people trying a multitude of homeopathic and traditional remedies to stave off an attack. Some treatments work better than others. A few patients have even reported being symptom free for ten years or more, making some experts asking the question, “can you get rid of herpes once and for all?”

Most researchers agree that while no, you can not rid your body of the actual virus (it tends to lay quietly dormant during non asymptomatic times), you can get rid of many of the herpes symptoms for long periods of time if you are careful. That is to be confused with curing the disease, which means it actually leaves your system; but handling the disease to stave off repeated attacks.

Herpes is a viral infection that goes through periods of active outbreaks of open sores and blisters. These sores are usually found either on or around the mouth and lips (as in the case of Herpes Simplex I) or the genitals and sex organs (as in the case of Herpes Simplex II), followed by periods of dormancy when no visible symptoms may be present in the patient for long periods of time. It is during this dormancy period that most people mistakenly think that their herpes has gone away. Research shows that it hasn’t. What herpes is very good at is hiding.

Eventually, the immune system will become weakened and the herpes infection/virus will come alive once again, thriving in this new weakened environment, causing another blister outbreak. So, what makes herpes become active after such a long period of dormancy? NO one knows for sure but there are a lot of theories regarding this phenomenon.

It has been shown that any illness can weaken the immune system giving it the chance to thrive. Stress too, is a big herpes activator. Patients are encouraged to adopt a stress free life as possible to eliminate outbreaks.

While there are both prescription medications and homeopathic remedies to help treat herpes outbreaks and even strengthen the immune system to help keep outbreaks at a minimum, one of the best ways to prevent the disease from attacking is to keep your immune system as strong as possible. This is done by being diligent about:

Your Diet: Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats to keep your body and immune system healthy. Avoid mono-saturated fats, alcohol sweet drinks and refined sugars and carbohydrates. Processed foods should be avoided and enriched white rice, flour and other products should be replaced with whole grains.

Your Sleep Patterns: Be sure to get enough sleep (at least 8 hours per night) to ensure that your body has the time it needs to rejuvenate itself. Sleep is a great time for every cell in your body to work to repair damage to itself and when you do not get enough sleep your immune system does not have the time to release important hormones needed for health and strength at battling all sorts of illnesses, including herpes.

Avoid Stressful Situations: Keep your home and family life calm; avoid making too many commitments and choose your job wisely. Stress can activate herpes and cause multiple outbreaks every year.

The immune system is an amazing system. It ahs everything the body needs to fight off disease and repair the body when threatened. Your immune system is designed to protect you from disease, but when stressed or weakened it can actually work against you, allowing a virus or infection like Herpes Simplex I & II to gain strength.

For more ways on dealing with herpes and keeping outbreaks at a minimum, be sure to talk to your doctor. There are plenty of ways to get rid of herpes symptoms if you are careful and diligent and take care of your body. The key to success is understanding how this virus works within the body and taking good care of yourself to strip it of its power and strength.

Can You Donate Blood If You Have Herpes

2011-12-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

Giving blood these days can be a tricky endeavor. Not just anyone can donate blood. In an attempt to make the blood supply as safe as possible there have been hundreds of restrictions put into place, denying many the opportunity to give blood. For instance, those who suffer with certain contagious diseases are barred from donating blood as are people who have lived in certain areas of the world during specific time periods (or for a certain length of time). Even a woman who has been raped or sexually abused is required to stop giving blood for at least one year after the attack.

So, what about herpes? If you suffer with either Herpes Simplex I Virus (the kind that causes mouth sores) or Herpes Simplex II Virus (otherwise called genital herpes), can you give blood under current Red Cross and FDA guidelines. The answer is yes – under certain circumstances.

Before we discuss the regulations regarding blood donation for the herpes patient, let’s first look at the three types of blood donors in the United States.

1. The Volunteer Donor: A volunteer donor is someone who freely donates their blood with no monetary or other benefits in mind. They simply want to offer help when needed. This is where the vast majority of the blood supply comes from. A volunteer donor is required to answer 90 very short questions in order to be able to donate their blood to any clinic, hospital or blood donation center. Answering wrong to any of those questions could cause their donation to be denied. The trouble is, not everyone answers these questions truthfully (either by accident or on purpose), and this has caused some breeches in blood safety levels in recent years.
2. The Replacement Donor: this is someone who donates their blood to be used for themselves or someone they know (like a friend or family member). The rules and regulations regarding this type of donation are a bit slacker than general volunteer donations, since the recipient knows exactly where the blood is coming form – and from whom. Plus if they are giving blood for their own use it really does not matter what other conditions they suffer with since their system is already being harmed by it.
3. The Professional Donor. This is a donor who actually sells their blood for monetary gain. Since the rules regarding these types of donations vary form facility to facility, the safety of these donations may sometimes be questionable.

So, why did we need to talk about the types of blood donors? Well, depending on the type of donor you are the rules for accepting or denying your blood donation may vary. For instance, a Volunteer donor facility may deny your donation if you are currently undergoing an active herpes attack; but not deny your donation if you are a replacement donor and are building up a blood supply for an upcoming surgery on yourself.

Now, let’s talk about when and why a herpes patient may be denied the ability to donate blood at a certain time or with a certain agency.
Although there are no laws requiring them to do so, it is a general practice that most blood centers across the United States follow a 'multi layer' safety protocol to determine eligibility of donors in order to secure the safest blood donations possible. This includes:

Screening individually,
Lab test,
Donation exclusion confidentially,
Cheking donor records.

When it comes to herpes patient donations, the American Red Cross and FDA suggest that blood donations be deferred for one month after an active outbreak of the virus. They also recommend that a primary outbreak (a person’s very first and strongest outbreak) be the cause of a temporary denial during the outbreak since the virus can be transferred in the blood during that first herpes attack. Subsequent attacks, however, do not formally require a deferment, although one is suggested for about a month.

Another thing to consider if you suffer with herpes is how you feel. If you are feeling especially run down, tired or sick you should not donate blood since the stress on the immune system during this time could trigger a painful attack. While this will not harm the blood you are donating, it could make your life a bit uncomfortable for a few weeks.

Donating blood is a wonderful gift; and one that does not have to be denied you just because of your herpes diagnosis. You should, however, be sure to answer any questions about your outbreak status truthfully when asked and avoid giving blood during an attack or when you are not feeling well, both for the safety of those receiving your blood in the future and your own well being.

Can Herpes Be Cured

2011-11-18T07:12:00.001-08:00

There is a lot of debate within the medical community as to whether or not the herpes simplex virus can actually be stricken from the body once and for all. With little real knowledge as to whether a cure is possible, each patient must work with his/her doctor to determine whether or not their disease is gone for good.

The herpes virus comes in two distinct forms: Herpes Simplex I and Herpes Simplex II. Both are highly contagious and can be spread from one person to another with close contact. In the case of Herpes Simplex II (otherwise referred to as genital herpes), sexual contact is the main way the infection is transmitted from person to person.

It has been well established within the medical field that neither herpes virus can be cured since it remains in the body throughout the victim’s lifetime. Not always active, the infection can actually lay dormant for weeks, months, or in some cases, years without ever making its presence known. Then one day, something triggers a reaction within the body and the virus becomes alive and active once again and an outbreak occurs.

Since both versions of the infection can be transmitted even without open sores or blisters being present, it is very important for patients to take precautions to keep from spreading the disease.

Herpes Simplex I virus is normally considered an annoying but benign disease, causing painful cold sores in and around the mouth. Sharing straws, drinks and kisses should be avoided during an outbreak.

The more hideous strain of the disease affects the genital are and sexual organs. Herpes Simplex II, also referred to as genital herpes is highly contagious and can be spreads through intimate contact, even when a condom is worn.

Since abstaining from sex is necessary during an outbreak and precautions must be taken even when the infection lies dormant within the body, researchers have been looking for a cure for the disease for some time.

Now it appears that a permanent cure may be on the horizon. Many researchers now believe that there are ways to reverse the disease (and actually cure it). The problem is, they say, is that current testing measures look for antibodies of the disease in the bloodstream in order to diagnosis herpes and since anyone who has ever suffered with the disease will have these antibodies present, there is no way to determine if the infection is gone for good.

Some doctors and patients have reported a lack of symptoms for ten years or more after certain protocols have been sued, but the medical community has yet to acknowledge that the infection is gone for good. Until now.

In recent years a new test has become available, which is based on viral DNA rather than the presence of herpes antibodies to determine whether or not the infection remains dormant in the body or has been eradicated. Now that a test can be performed to determine the true stage of the disease within the body, it will be easier for doctors and researchers to pinpoint a real cure should one be discovered.

When it comes to “curing” herpes, there have been a lot of people who claim to have found one. Yet no medical society to date will acknowledge the existence of a real cure for this very contagious disease.

Among the many treatment options now being studied for herpes include this homeopathic cure:

Waiting to administer the protocol until the patient’s immune system is weakened by an illness which triggers a herpes outbreak (otherwise the body will send the infection into its dormant stage to prevent its destruction)
Removing all carbohydrates and sugar form the diet for 2 weeks
During this 2 week period take lysine, zinc and a food based multivitamin daily
Increasing your protein intake
Avoiding all nuts and nut based products
Applying a 2% iodine patch to the skin (about the size of a large coin) every day for 2 weeks. If your skin absorbs the patch in less than 12 hours, it is okay to increase the amount.

In the event your symptoms return, you may have to use the protocol several times to completely eradicate the disease from your body.

Of course this is not the only homeopathic remedy for treating herpes. Herpes Simplex I seems to also respond well to Astragalus’s supplements when taken at the first is of an outbreak.

While a real cure for herpes may still be some time away, researchers are working diligently to find a permanent cure for the disease. In the meantime, some homeopathic doctors are citing some success and those who suffer repeated bouts of herpes outbreak may want to consider looking into these alternative treatment methods for relief.