Genital herpes during pregnancy

If you have the HSV2 virus the vast majority of the time a normal vaginal delivery is possible. However, risk of transmission to the baby is highest if you contracted the disease during pregnancy. If this does happen the baby could catch genital herpes from you. This form of herpes is called neonatal herpes. Neonatal herpes can be a serious illness, and is very rarely, it can even put a baby's life at risk.

To stop the baby catching neonatal herpes, suppressive viral drugs are used to a month or two before the due date to prevent outbreaks during birth and normal vaginal delivery is performed. If you develop genital herpes for the first time late into your pregnancy, a caesarean delivery is performed to prevent transmission to the baby. If you have herpes or are worried about this subject please talk to your doctor.