I presume your concern is the spread of herpes to the newborn - a condition called neonatal herpes. This is a rare but serious, and potentially fatal, condition.
It occurs when the genital herpes virus (HSV-2) is present in the birth canal when the baby is passing through it during delivery. Neonatal herpes can cause permanent damage to the baby’s central nervous system, mental retardation and death from overwhelming infection.
It is important to note that while genital herpes is common in men and women - (25-30% of pregnant women in the USA have genital herpes), that the incidence of neonatal herpes is only 0.1% - meaning most women with herpes give birth to healthy babies. This is because the women have antibodies to the virus, and pass this natural immunity to their babies.
The danger is when women are newly infected with herpes late in pregnancy. They do not have time to acquire the antibodies against the virus and pass on this temporary natural immunity to the baby. Furthermore, new infections tend to be more active with a higher chance of being active in the birth canal during delivery.
The steps for a man with genital herpes to start a family safely is:
- Ask your partner to be tested for genital herpes - this can be done by a blood test. If your partner does not have herpes - then you can reduce the risk of transmission of herpes to your partner by avoiding sex when you have active sores, and discuss with your doctor using suppressive therapy to reduce your viral load when having sex to conceive.
- If your partner has genital herpes - the risk of transmission to the baby is low. Her obstetrician should be informed. The doctor will then monitor your partner for active herpes during labour. If there are signs of active herpes in the birth canal, the doctor will then recommend Caesarian section to prevent contact of the baby with active herpes sores in the birth canal.
In summary, genital herpes is a common condition. There should be no shame or stigma of having it. Open discussion with your partner and your doctors will help with starting your family safely.
