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Precautions can Prevent Genital Herpes | |
BY DR. GEOFFREY D. CHAZEN For people who don't practice safe sex, genital herpes is a constant threat. Anyone who does not take precautions during sex can contract genital herpes. People with active herpetic lesions are also at increased risk of contracting AIDS. The condition is caused by the herpes simplex virus. It's transmitted during sexual activity, when the virus enters the body through the lining of the penis or vagina. What happens after infection varies widely from individual to individual. Some people may have no symptoms at all. Others may have a single episode in which painful blisters develop in the genital area, accompanied by itching and soreness. Such an episode generally ends in about a week to 10 days. Some infected persons may have frequent recurrences of these painful and tormenting outbreaks, perhaps six-to-12 times a year. Recurrent herpes outbreaks are more common in immunocompromised individuals, but they can happen to any infected person. Treatment relies mostly on the antiviral drug acyclovir, which is available in pill form. A single episode can be treated by taking acyclovir capsules five times a day for a few days. But persons with frequent recurrences usually require maintenance therapy. They will take acyclovir pills twice a day. Maintenance treatment can be stopped if there are no recurrences in a year's time, but acyclovir therapy will be resumed if there is a new outbreak. Women who are taking acyclovir to prevent recurrent outbreaks are told to stop the treatment during pregnancy. It's not known yet whether the drug can cause birth defects if used during pregnancy. A newer antiviral drug, valacyclovir, can be taken twice a day. But as yet there is no solid evidence about its ability to prevent chronic recurrences. And it can't be prescribed for immunocompromised individuals because it has severe side effects in them. Preventive measures for genital herpes are essentially the same as for any venereal disease. Any infected person - and an infection is lifelong - is advised that it's best not to have sex during an active outbreak, to avoid transmitting the virus. The best preventive measure is always to use a barrier contraceptive - a condom. Those measures are designed to prevent not only genital herpes but also other sexually transmitted diseases. A genital herpes infection increases the risk of contracting all such diseases -including AIDS. -- Dr. Geoffrey D. Chazen is Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine. Copyright 1996 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | |