How serious is genital herpes?
Genital herpes can be painful, inconvenient, and upsetting, but it’s not considered a life-threatening condition. Even so, it may increase your risk of getting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, because the sores are prime spots for HIV to get into your body. What’s more, being infected with HIV and the herpes virus may make both diseases worse. A pregnant woman can pass genital herpes on to her baby, so it’s particularly serious during pregnancy. If you get infected near the end of pregnancy, the risk is highest. At least 30% and as many as 50% of newly infected pregnant women give the virus to their babies. For moms who were infected long before delivery, the risk is much lower. Less than 1% of babies born to mothers with an older genital herpes infection get the virus. Also, doctors usually will perform a cesarean section if a woman is having an outbreak at the time of delivery. You may have heard that genital herpes causes cervical cancer. That’s not exactly true. It may be a factor,
