Infection in the newborn infant can lead to herpetic meningitis , herpetic viremia, chronic skin infection and even death. Prevention is difficult since the virus can be spread to others even when the infected person has no evidence of a current outbreak. However, avoiding direct contact with an open lesion will lower the risk of infection. People with genital herpes should avoid sexual contact when active lesions are present. People with known genital herpes but without current clinical symptoms should inform their partner that they have the disease.
Condoms remain the best protection against acquiring genital herpes when sexually active.
Testing of condoms is maintained at high standards to insure that virus cannot pass through the material of the condom. There has been research on condoms with anti-herpesvirus properties. Pregnant women with the herpes simplex infection should receive weekly viral cultures of the cervix and external genitalia as the delivery date approaches. Treatment of genital herpes does not cure the disease but can relieve the symptoms. Treatment can rapidly decrease the pain and discomfort associated with an outbreak and shorten the healing time.