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Question about HSV2 and Children

Idontno

By Idontno
in Pregnancy, Conception and Herpes

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Idontno Newbie

Idontno

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Hello, I am newly diagnosed and new to this forum but have a question that I kind of need a quick answer to. I was diagnosed with HSV2 a few months ago, I was in denial, then depressed, then resolute. I have moved on and began living my life again. The problem lies in that I have told NO ONE about my diagnosis. A good friend of mine recently had a baby and she is now expecting me to help her with her newborn. I am more than willing to do it but I am TERRIFIED about passing this virus on to her or her newborn. HELP!! What should do? Should I be concerned? I have been on suppressive therapy (Valtrex) since my diagnosis months ago but have missed a few days worth of medication due to a recently hectic schedule. Should I not handle the baby at all? Or what precautions should I take?

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Soraya1 Established Member

Soraya1

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Hi there

I am assuming that you have HSV2 in the genital area? In which case, you have nothing whatsoever to worry about. HSV is passed during skin to skin contact = it is not an airbourne virus! Of course, with any newborn, you should always wash your hands thoroughly with hot water and soap before handling, especially in this season of colds and flu.

There is no way you can pass this to anyone unless they come into contact (physical contact) with the area that the virus is affecting.

My niece was born 16 months ago, and I helped my sister out all the time –*changed the baby's nappy, fed her, cuddled her. You have nothing to worry about, just follow basic hygiene precautions, don't touch yourself down there and always wash hands after using the loo.

Soraya1 xx

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Tiny Established Member

Tiny

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I have genital herpes. The Dr was happy for me to give birth naturally (on anti-virals) and that is pretty direct contact with the affected area! I changed nappies ect for her without worrying about it--I did resign myself from nappy duty if I had an OB (but that was me being a bit lazy...any excuse not to change a dirty nappy!). I also bathed and showered with her when she was very little. She is 7 years old and no worries. I make sure to keep my towels away from her when I am having an OB but for the most part I consider myself less risk to her than a person with cold sores.

The valtrex wil keep your shedding done and you won't be getting naked with the bebbie. If you are super worried you can get an anti-viral spray--they sometimes sell it at sex shops for cleaning sex toys. The virus dies quite quickly outside the body.

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horseychick Newbie

horseychick

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hi guys im new :)

ive had genital herpes for about 3years now. not doing too bad. just wondering, im sure i asked my doctor but to check again. my partner gets coldsores so he cant catch genital herpes am i right or wrong?

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Soraya1 Established Member

Soraya1

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Wrong I think, Horseychick. There are 2 strains of the virus – HSV1 which commonly attacks the mouth area (producing coldsores) and HSV2 which is the genital variety. But, HSV1 can also appear in the genital area. A person can catch both strains.

So, you could catch his oral HSV and he could catch your genital HSV, depending on what strain you have down there. If you have HSV1 down there, chances are he has some immunity. But, in the UK, they rarely bother to test to see which one you have, so not sure how you would find this out.

The best advice is for both of you to abstain if you are having any HSV symptoms at all, and wait for everything to heal. Don't rely on any hoped-for immunity…this is one pesky little virus.

Soraya1 x

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horseychick Newbie

horseychick

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thanks chick... having outbreak at mo, its sore but gettin there, just annoyed i have it at xmas :( we spent a night together (unprotected as together 2years) sunday, but only got stinging and blisters on tuesday morning, do you think he'll be ok? :/

horseychick x x x

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Soraya1 Established Member

Soraya1

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thanks chick... having outbreak at mo, its sore but gettin there, just annoyed i have it at xmas :( we spent a night together (unprotected as together 2years) sunday, but only got stinging and blisters on tuesday morning, do you think he'll be ok? :/

horseychick x x x

Hard to say, Horseychick. My partner does not have the virus either, and I always panic a bit if I get an outbreak a couple of days after we have had sex. And yes, bummer when an outbreak crops up over the holidays :-( I had a coldsore and an outbreak downstairs on my birthday this year, so could not even kiss my bloke, was really miffed.

But, outbreaks do become less frequent the longer you have the virus, so that's one thing to look forward to. If your outbreaks are external (i.e nowhere near your delicate lady bits), try putting some Carex hand sanitizer on the blisters. It stings a wee bit, but seems to help them dry out and heal quicker. I got this tip from this site, and it does seem to help.

Hope you are feeling much better soon – and merry Xmas!

Soraya1 x

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      By WilsoInAus · Posted

      Hi there @ScubaSteeve and welcome to the website. If you have had genital HSV for 10 years there is a chance the testing did not distinguish type. The answers to the following questions will help a bit: - where are your outbreaks specifically and what frequency? - have you had any IgG antibody testing for HSV?
    • CHT
      New to this- help please

      By CHT · Posted

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    • Justme88
      Equivocal?

      By Justme88 · Posted

      Thanks.
    • ScubaSteeve
      32m Diagnosed with hpv2 10 years ago

      By ScubaSteeve · Posted

      I was diagnosed with HPV2 ten years ago, which I contracted from an ex-girlfriend who was unaware she had it. Since then, I've lived a reserved life, not really opening up to others. There was only one person I felt interested in enough to share this with, but it didn't work out. There have been a few instances where I've let my guard down, had a night out, and ended up sleeping with someone. I know I should feel guilty about not discussing it beforehand, but I found it challenging because they know my family, and it felt overwhelming at the time, and I had alot of pent up desires from not ever being with someone for a long time.  After finally opening up to someone and realizing it wasn't the end of the world, I now understand that finding the right partner might be a matter of numbers. I desire to have more intimate relationships but need to find better ways to approach this topic and ensure I never spread it.  Thank you all for providing a space where I can be myself.
    • i82much2young
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      By i82much2young · Posted

      My swab results won’t be ready for another 5 days. Is there any harm is continuing the Valacyclovir? I was prescribed 1gm tablets for 10 days.
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