But even those who have been monogamous for years may find themselves in search of a new partner through being divorced or widowed. Herpes is definitely not confined to the young. Anyone with active lesions should refrain from sex until the sores are healed, and no one should have intercourse with a person with visible genital lesions of any kind. If you have fever blisters, you should not only avoid oral sex but also kissing while the lesions are present. After a first outbreak, significant viral shedding may occur for up to a year after the lesions heal, even if you are under drug treatment, so using a condom is strongly advised.
Condoms are the best protection, but only if the latex covers all the infected places.
The female condom may offer better protection than the conventional one, since it covers a large area, including part of the external genitalia. HSV can survive for short periods on wet clothing, towels, and washcloths, and although this is an unlikely route of transmission, take care not to share these items with other members of your household when you have an outbreak. Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face and eyes with contaminated fingers. Contact-lens wearers should be especially cautious, since the virus can multiply under the lenses. A pregnant woman who has genital herpes, or whose partner is infected, should inform her doctor.