What is Chronic Yeast Infection?

 Chronic Yeast Infection is considered as one of the most annoying conditions, which is experienced by most people, particularly women.  Candida Albicans causes chronic Yeast Infection that can affect any part of the body with rapid development of yeast.  The chronic Yeast Infection, left untreated, can cause serious health problems to human and can affect many parts such as skin, gut, penis, vagina, and mouth.  This article explains all the basic information about the chronic Yeast Infection.

 The notable signs of the chronic Yeast Infections are itching, vaginal discharge, and burning sensation that might be experienced in more than four times a year.  All these symptoms can be the sign of irritant vulvitis, so it is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of recurrent yeast infection.  The diagnosis is normally performed on the wet region of the vagina or on the rapidly developing yeast of the vagina.  The diagnosis should be repeated on the recurrent yeast infections, or else the condition cannot be even treated with anti-yeast treatment.  Common chemical that cause chronic yeast infections are propylene glycol, methylparaben sodium lauryl sulfate, cetyl alcohol, and fragrance that are commonly present in douches, bubble baths, soaps, lubricants, and cream.

 Diabetic conditions or increased glucose level is the main cause of the chronic yeast infection, and even chronic antibiotic therapy is found to cause this yeast infection.   Butoconazole is the effective remedy for the chronic yeast infection, and also usage of boric acid vaginal suppositories is considered as an effective remedy for this infection.  Regular treatment done with terconazole vaginal cream gives the best result against the chronic yeast infection.  Another good remedy is the use of yogurt on the affected area, and this method reduces the infection to a certain extent.

 The chronic yeast infection can also be prevented by giving proper attention to body care and changing some lifestyle habits.  Stop wearing tight jeans and pantyhose, as these arrest the moisture content in the perineum, and use loose, cotton underclothing to absorb the body moisture.  After heavy exercises and other heavy workouts, clean the body and air dry it completely to stop the secondary yeast infection.  After urination and bowel movement, properly clean the vaginal area to prevent vaginal infection and skin infections.  Always follow a diet that consists of low carbohydrate or no carbohydrate to bring down the serious effects of the chronic yeast infection.  Stop using steroids, oral contraceptives, and antibiotics unless it is really necessary. For a safe, homeopathic remedy that eases multiple symptoms of yeast infection in both Men and Women click here!

HPV cancer

What is a genital HPV cancer?

HPV cancer (also called HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are more than 40 HPV types that can infect the genital areas of males and females. These HPV types can also infect the mouth and throat. Most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.

HPV is not the same as herpes or HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). These are all viruses that can be passed on during sex, but they cause different symptoms and health problems.

What are the signs, symptoms and potential health problems of HPV?

Most people with HPV do not develop symptoms or health problems from it. In 90% of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV naturally within two years.

But sometimes, certain types of HPV can cause Genital Warts in males and females. Rarely, these types can also cause warts in the throat — a condition called recurrent respiratory papillomatosis or RRP.
Other HPV types can cause cervical cancer. These types can also cause other, less common but serious cancers, including cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and head and neck (tongue, tonsils and throat).
The types of HPV that can cause Genital Warts are not the same as the types that can cause cancer. There is no way to know which people who get HPV will go on to develop cancer or other health problems.

Signs and symptoms of HPV-related problems:

Genital Warts usually appear as a small bump or groups of bumps in the genital area. They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower. Health care providers can diagnose warts by looking at the genital area during an office visit. Warts can appear within weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected partner—even if the infected partner has no signs of genital warts. If left untreated, genital warts might go away, remain unchanged, or increase in size or number. They will not turn into cancer.

Cervical cancer usually does not have symptoms until it is quite advanced. For this reason, it is important for women to get regular screening for cervical cancer. Screening tests can find early signs of disease so that problems can be treated early, before they ever turn into cancer.

Other HPV-related cancers might not have signs or symptoms until they are advanced and hard to treat. These include cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and head and neck. For signs and symptoms of these cancers, see www.cancer.gov.

RRP causes warts to grow in the throat. It can sometimes block the airway, causing a hoarse voice or troubled breathing.

Fight your HPV cancer with natural Remedies

How do people get HPV?

HPV is passed on through genital contact, most often during vaginal and anal sex. HPV may also be passed on during oral sex and genital-to-genital contact. HPV can be passed on between straight and same-sex partners—even when the infected partner has no signs or symptoms.

A person can have HPV even if years have passed since he or she had sexual contact with an infected person. Most infected persons do not realize they are infected or that they are passing the virus on to a sex partner. It is also possible to get more than one type of HPV.

Very rarely, a pregnant woman with genital HPV can pass HPV to her baby during delivery. In these cases, the child can develop RRP.

How does HPV cause genital warts and cancer?

HPV can cause normal cells on infected skin to turn abnormal. Most of the time, you cannot see or feel these cell changes. In most cases, the body fights off HPV naturally and the infected cells then go back to normal. But in cases when the body does not fight off HPV, HPV can cause visible changes in the form of genital warts or cancer. Warts can appear within weeks or months after getting HPV. Cancer often takes years to develop after getting HPV.

How common are HPV and related diseases?

HPV (the virus). Approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV. Another 6 million people become newly infected each year. HPV is so common that at least 50% of sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives.

Genital warts. About 1% of sexually active adults in the U.S. have genital warts at any one time.

Cervical cancer. Each year, about 12,000 women get cervical cancer in the U.S.

Other cancers that can be caused by HPV are less common than cervical cancer. Each year in the U.S., there are about:

• 3,700 women who get vulvar cancer
• 1,000 women who get vaginal cancer
• 1,000 men who get penile cancer
• 2,700 women and 1,700 men who get anal cancer
• 2,300 women and 9,000 men who get head and neck cancers. [Note: although HPV is associated with some of head and neck cancers, most of these cancers are related to smoking and heavy drinking.]
• Certain populations are at higher risk for some HPV-related health problems. This includes gay and bisexual men, and people with weak immune systems (including those who have HIV/AIDS).

RRP is very rare. It is estimated that less than 2,000 children get RRP every year in the U.S.

How can people prevent HPV?

There are several ways that people can lower their chances of getting HPV:

Vaccines can protect males and females against some of the most common types of HPV. These vaccines are given in three shots. It is important to get all three doses to get the best protection. The vaccines are most effective when given before a person’s first sexual contact, when he or she could be exposed to HPV.

Girls and women: Two vaccines (Cervarix and Gardasil) are available to protect females against the types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers. One of these vaccines (Gardasil) also protects against most genital warts. Both vaccines are recommended for 11 and 12 year-old girls, and for females 13 through 26 years of age, who did not get any or all of the shots when they were younger. These vaccines can also be given to girls as young as 9 years of age. It is recommended that females get the same vaccine brand for all three doses, whenever possible.

Boys and men: One available vaccine (Gardasil) protects males against most genital warts. This vaccine is available for boys and men, 9 through 26 years of age.

For those who choose to be sexually active, condoms may lower the risk of HPV. To be most effective, they should be used with every sex act, from start to finish. Condoms may also lower the risk of developing HPV-related diseases, such as genital warts and cervical cancer. But HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom – so condoms may not fully protect against HPV.

People can also lower their chances of getting HPV by being in a faithful relationship with one partner; limiting their number of sex partners; and choosing a partner who has had no or few prior sex partners. But even people with only one lifetime sex partner can get HPV. And it may not be possible to determine if a partner who has been sexually active in the past is currently infected. That’s why the only sure way to prevent HPV is to avoid all sexual activity.

Fight your HPV cancer with natural Remedies

HPV infection

What is a genital HPV infection?

HPV infection (also called HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are more than 40 HPV types that can infect the genital areas of males and females. These HPV types can also infect the mouth and throat. Most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.

HPV is not the same as herpes or HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). These are all viruses that can be passed on during sex, but they cause different symptoms and health problems.

What are the signs, symptoms and potential health problems of HPV?

Most people with HPV do not develop symptoms or health problems from it. In 90% of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV naturally within two years.

But sometimes, certain types of HPV can cause Genital Warts in males and females. Rarely, these types can also cause warts in the throat — a condition called recurrent respiratory papillomatosis or RRP.
Other HPV types can cause cervical cancer. These types can also cause other, less common but serious cancers, including cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and head and neck (tongue, tonsils and throat).
The types of HPV that can cause Genital Warts are not the same as the types that can cause cancer. There is no way to know which people who get HPV will go on to develop cancer or other health problems.

Signs and symptoms of HPV-related problems:

Genital Warts usually appear as a small bump or groups of bumps in the genital area. They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower. Health care providers can diagnose warts by looking at the genital area during an office visit. Warts can appear within weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected partner—even if the infected partner has no signs of genital warts. If left untreated, genital warts might go away, remain unchanged, or increase in size or number. They will not turn into cancer.

Cervical cancer usually does not have symptoms until it is quite advanced. For this reason, it is important for women to get regular screening for cervical cancer. Screening tests can find early signs of disease so that problems can be treated early, before they ever turn into cancer.

Other HPV-related cancers might not have signs or symptoms until they are advanced and hard to treat. These include cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and head and neck. For signs and symptoms of these cancers, see www.cancer.gov.

RRP causes warts to grow in the throat. It can sometimes block the airway, causing a hoarse voice or troubled breathing.

Fight your HPV infection with natural Remedies

How do people get HPV?

HPV is passed on through genital contact, most often during vaginal and anal sex. HPV may also be passed on during oral sex and genital-to-genital contact. HPV can be passed on between straight and same-sex partners—even when the infected partner has no signs or symptoms.

A person can have HPV even if years have passed since he or she had sexual contact with an infected person. Most infected persons do not realize they are infected or that they are passing the virus on to a sex partner. It is also possible to get more than one type of HPV.

Very rarely, a pregnant woman with genital HPV can pass HPV to her baby during delivery. In these cases, the child can develop RRP.

How does HPV cause genital warts and cancer?

HPV can cause normal cells on infected skin to turn abnormal. Most of the time, you cannot see or feel these cell changes. In most cases, the body fights off HPV naturally and the infected cells then go back to normal. But in cases when the body does not fight off HPV, HPV can cause visible changes in the form of genital warts or cancer. Warts can appear within weeks or months after getting HPV. Cancer often takes years to develop after getting HPV.

How common are HPV and related diseases?

HPV (the virus). Approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV. Another 6 million people become newly infected each year. HPV is so common that at least 50% of sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives.

Genital warts. About 1% of sexually active adults in the U.S. have genital warts at any one time.

Cervical cancer. Each year, about 12,000 women get cervical cancer in the U.S.

Other cancers that can be caused by HPV are less common than cervical cancer. Each year in the U.S., there are about:

• 3,700 women who get vulvar cancer
• 1,000 women who get vaginal cancer
• 1,000 men who get penile cancer
• 2,700 women and 1,700 men who get anal cancer
• 2,300 women and 9,000 men who get head and neck cancers. [Note: although HPV is associated with some of head and neck cancers, most of these cancers are related to smoking and heavy drinking.]
• Certain populations are at higher risk for some HPV-related health problems. This includes gay and bisexual men, and people with weak immune systems (including those who have HIV/AIDS).

RRP is very rare. It is estimated that less than 2,000 children get RRP every year in the U.S.

How can people prevent HPV?

There are several ways that people can lower their chances of getting HPV:

Vaccines can protect males and females against some of the most common types of HPV. These vaccines are given in three shots. It is important to get all three doses to get the best protection. The vaccines are most effective when given before a person’s first sexual contact, when he or she could be exposed to HPV.

Girls and women: Two vaccines (Cervarix and Gardasil) are available to protect females against the types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers. One of these vaccines (Gardasil) also protects against most genital warts. Both vaccines are recommended for 11 and 12 year-old girls, and for females 13 through 26 years of age, who did not get any or all of the shots when they were younger. These vaccines can also be given to girls as young as 9 years of age. It is recommended that females get the same vaccine brand for all three doses, whenever possible.

Boys and men: One available vaccine (Gardasil) protects males against most genital warts. This vaccine is available for boys and men, 9 through 26 years of age.

For those who choose to be sexually active, condoms may lower the risk of HPV. To be most effective, they should be used with every sex act, from start to finish. Condoms may also lower the risk of developing HPV-related diseases, such as genital warts and cervical cancer. But HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom – so condoms may not fully protect against HPV.

People can also lower their chances of getting HPV by being in a faithful relationship with one partner; limiting their number of sex partners; and choosing a partner who has had no or few prior sex partners. But even people with only one lifetime sex partner can get HPV. And it may not be possible to determine if a partner who has been sexually active in the past is currently infected. That’s why the only sure way to prevent HPV is to avoid all sexual activity.

Fight your HPV infection with natural Remedies

HPV infections

What is a genital HPV infections?

HPV infections (also called HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are more than 40 HPV types that can infect the genital areas of males and females. These HPV types can also infect the mouth and throat. Most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.

HPV is not the same as herpes or HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). These are all viruses that can be passed on during sex, but they cause different symptoms and health problems.

What are the signs, symptoms and potential health problems of HPV?

Most people with HPV do not develop symptoms or health problems from it. In 90% of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV naturally within two years.

But sometimes, certain types of HPV can cause Genital Warts in males and females. Rarely, these types can also cause warts in the throat — a condition called recurrent respiratory papillomatosis or RRP.
Other HPV types can cause cervical cancer. These types can also cause other, less common but serious cancers, including cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and head and neck (tongue, tonsils and throat).
The types of HPV that can cause Genital Warts are not the same as the types that can cause cancer. There is no way to know which people who get HPV will go on to develop cancer or other health problems.

Signs and symptoms of HPV-related problems:

Genital Warts usually appear as a small bump or groups of bumps in the genital area. They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower. Health care providers can diagnose warts by looking at the genital area during an office visit. Warts can appear within weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected partner—even if the infected partner has no signs of genital warts. If left untreated, genital warts might go away, remain unchanged, or increase in size or number. They will not turn into cancer.

Cervical cancer usually does not have symptoms until it is quite advanced. For this reason, it is important for women to get regular screening for cervical cancer. Screening tests can find early signs of disease so that problems can be treated early, before they ever turn into cancer.

Other HPV-related cancers might not have signs or symptoms until they are advanced and hard to treat. These include cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and head and neck. For signs and symptoms of these cancers, see www.cancer.gov.

RRP causes warts to grow in the throat. It can sometimes block the airway, causing a hoarse voice or troubled breathing.

Fight your HPV infections with natural Remedies

How do people get HPV?

HPV is passed on through genital contact, most often during vaginal and anal sex. HPV may also be passed on during oral sex and genital-to-genital contact. HPV can be passed on between straight and same-sex partners—even when the infected partner has no signs or symptoms.

A person can have HPV even if years have passed since he or she had sexual contact with an infected person. Most infected persons do not realize they are infected or that they are passing the virus on to a sex partner. It is also possible to get more than one type of HPV.

Very rarely, a pregnant woman with genital HPV can pass HPV to her baby during delivery. In these cases, the child can develop RRP.

How does HPV cause genital warts and cancer?

HPV can cause normal cells on infected skin to turn abnormal. Most of the time, you cannot see or feel these cell changes. In most cases, the body fights off HPV naturally and the infected cells then go back to normal. But in cases when the body does not fight off HPV, HPV can cause visible changes in the form of genital warts or cancer. Warts can appear within weeks or months after getting HPV. Cancer often takes years to develop after getting HPV.

How common are HPV and related diseases?

HPV (the virus). Approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV. Another 6 million people become newly infected each year. HPV is so common that at least 50% of sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives.

Genital warts. About 1% of sexually active adults in the U.S. have genital warts at any one time.

Cervical cancer. Each year, about 12,000 women get cervical cancer in the U.S.

Other cancers that can be caused by HPV are less common than cervical cancer. Each year in the U.S., there are about:

• 3,700 women who get vulvar cancer
• 1,000 women who get vaginal cancer
• 1,000 men who get penile cancer
• 2,700 women and 1,700 men who get anal cancer
• 2,300 women and 9,000 men who get head and neck cancers. [Note: although HPV is associated with some of head and neck cancers, most of these cancers are related to smoking and heavy drinking.]
• Certain populations are at higher risk for some HPV-related health problems. This includes gay and bisexual men, and people with weak immune systems (including those who have HIV/AIDS).

RRP is very rare. It is estimated that less than 2,000 children get RRP every year in the U.S.

How can people prevent HPV?

There are several ways that people can lower their chances of getting HPV:

Vaccines can protect males and females against some of the most common types of HPV. These vaccines are given in three shots. It is important to get all three doses to get the best protection. The vaccines are most effective when given before a person’s first sexual contact, when he or she could be exposed to HPV.

Girls and women: Two vaccines (Cervarix and Gardasil) are available to protect females against the types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers. One of these vaccines (Gardasil) also protects against most genital warts. Both vaccines are recommended for 11 and 12 year-old girls, and for females 13 through 26 years of age, who did not get any or all of the shots when they were younger. These vaccines can also be given to girls as young as 9 years of age. It is recommended that females get the same vaccine brand for all three doses, whenever possible.

Boys and men: One available vaccine (Gardasil) protects males against most genital warts. This vaccine is available for boys and men, 9 through 26 years of age.

For those who choose to be sexually active, condoms may lower the risk of HPV. To be most effective, they should be used with every sex act, from start to finish. Condoms may also lower the risk of developing HPV-related diseases, such as genital warts and cervical cancer. But HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom – so condoms may not fully protect against HPV.

People can also lower their chances of getting HPV by being in a faithful relationship with one partner; limiting their number of sex partners; and choosing a partner who has had no or few prior sex partners. But even people with only one lifetime sex partner can get HPV. And it may not be possible to determine if a partner who has been sexually active in the past is currently infected. That’s why the only sure way to prevent HPV is to avoid all sexual activity.

Fight your HPV infections with natural Remedies

Herpes Symptoms

What Is Herpes?
Herpes is a common and usually mild infection. It can cause “cold sores” or “fever blisters” on the mouth or face (known as “oral herpes”) and similar symptoms in the genital area (“genital herpes”).

What Causes Herpes?
Either of two viruses can cause herpes: herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2). Both are part of a larger family of “herpesviruses” that includes varicella zoster virus, the cause of chicken pox and shingles; and Epstein Barr virus, the cause of “mono.”

Herpes simplex is different from many other common viral infections in several ways. Most importantly, herpes sets up a lifelong presence in the body. The virus can travel the nerve pathways in a particular part of the body and hide away in the nerve roots for long periods of time. This means that even though HSV may not be causing “cold sores” or genital symptoms at a given time, it can still cause symptoms later when HSV wakes up (“reactivates”) and travels back to the skin.

What Are The Symptoms Of Oral Herpes?
The majority of oral herpes infections are caused by HSV-1, and most people contract oral herpes when they are young. This may occur when a child receives a kiss from a person who has a cold sore or from other childhood physical contact (daycare, etc.).

Many people with oral HSV do not have cold sores or other symptoms. It’s estimated that only 20% to 40% of people with oral herpes have recurrent cold sores as adults.

Classic symptoms of oral herpes can appear as a single blister or cluster of blisters (“cold sores”) on the lips but may also occur on other areas around the face such as the cheeks, chin, or nose. Subtle oral HSV symptoms can be easily mistaken for another infection or condition such as a small crack or cut in the skin, chapped lips, bug bite, or a pimple, to name a few examples.

What Are The Symptoms Of Genital Herpes?
Most often caused by HSV-2, symptoms of genital herpes vary greatly from one person to the next. The majority of people have such mild symptoms that they may not recognize the infection for many years. Out of the one in five adults (males and females) in the United States who have genital herpes, more than 80% have not been diagnosed and are unaware they have it.

The most noticeable symptoms tend to occur shortly after a person contracts the virus, when her or his immune response to herpes is not fully developed (“first episode”). Later symptoms tend to be milder because the immune response recognizes the virus and can quickly respond to it.

For some, symptoms during a first episode can be severe, appearing as small fluid filled blisters that crust over and scab like a small cut, sometimes taking more than two weeks to fully heal. Symptoms of a first episode may also include flu-like symptoms, such as fever and swollen glands, particularly in the groin. On the other hand, most people have first episode symptoms so mild they don’t even notice them. It may be another episode, or “reactivation,” that is first noticed months or even years later.

Right before an outbreak, many people experience an itching, tingling, or burning feeling in the area where their herpes symptoms will develop. This sort of warning symptom is called a “prodrome” and often precedes visible signs of infection by a day or two. In some people, prodrome will involve pain in the buttocks, the back of the legs, or even lower back.

How Is It That Herpes Symptoms Can Go Unrecognized?
Many people have very subtle forms of recurrent herpes that can heal in a matter of days. While recurrences of herpes may cause the classic blisters, other symptoms caused by HSV can easily be mistaken for insect bites, ingrown hairs, abrasions, Yeast Infections, “jock itch,” hemorrhoids, and other conditions.

Can Herpes Be Active Without Causing Symptoms?
It was once thought that all of HSV’s active times were marked by “outbreaks”-a sore, blister, bump, rash, or some other kind of symptom like an itch. However, researchers have learned that there are days when HSV can become active without causing symptoms. This is often called “asymptomatic viral shedding.” And during these times, because there are no recognizable signs that the virus has made its way to the skin, there is no way of knowing when asymptomatic shedding is occurring.

How Is Herpes Transmitted?
Herpes is spread most efficiently by direct skin-to-skin contact. More specifically, the soft moist tissue of the mouth and genitals are most vulnerable to HSV if these areas come into contact with the virus.

The following scenarios illustrate how HSV is most often transmitted:

• If a person has a cold sore and kisses someone, the virus can be passed to the other person’s mouth.
• If a person has active genital herpes and engages in direct genital-to-genital contact, the virus can be transmitted from her or his genitals to a partner’s.
• If someone with a cold sore places his or her mouth on a partner’s genitals (oral sex), the partner can contract genital herpes.

Herpes can be transmitted through sexual contact during asymptomatic viral shedding or times when there are no obvious symptoms. Herpes is often passed by people who do not know they have herpes, or by people who simply don’t recognize that their herpes infection is in an active phase.

Can Herpes Be Prevented?
Preventing herpes can be a difficult challenge. First, HSV is widespread, with more than two out of three adults infected with HSV-1 or HSV-2. Second, most people who have HSV are unaware that they have the infection. And third, even among those who are aware of their infection, there are times of asymptomatic viral shedding when HSV becomes active without symptoms and can be transmitted.

While there are vaccines in development to prevent herpes (such as the vaccine used in the Herpevac Trial for Women), currently the only 100% effective method of preventing genital herpes infection is to abstain from any form of genital-to-genital contact or oral-to-genital contact. However, given that most adults will have a sexual relationship at some point in their lives, it is important to understand how herpes is transmitted along with other ways to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

How Can One Reduce The Risk Of Getting Herpes?
In a sexual relationship, there are ways to reduce the risk of contracting herpes:

• Talk. Talk with a partner about herpes, other sexually transmitted diseases and birth control before engaging in sexual contact. Finding out if a partner has herpes or other STDs can help both individuals decide which precautions are right for them.
• Avoid skin-to-skin contact with herpes lesions. If your partner has a cold sore or a genital lesion, avoid kissing, oral-genital, or genital-to-genital contact. Symptoms of prodrome and outbreaks indicate viral activity and pose the greatest risk of passing the virus to another person.
• Use condoms between outbreaks as a guard against unrecognized herpes. Consistent and correct use of condoms effectively reduces (but does not eliminate) the risk of contracting herpes. Condoms are not recommended as protection during herpes outbreaks because a lesion may be in a place the condom doesn’t cover. But they decrease the risk of genital herpes during asymptomatic shedding, especially if used consistently.
• Antiviral medication may help. For individuals with genital herpes, taking a 500mg dose of valacyclovir each day has been shown to decrease the risk of a partner developing genital herpes symptoms by 77% and the overall risk of HSV infection by 50%.

What About Pregnancy?
Transmission of herpes to newborns is rare and most mothers with a history of genital herpes have vaginal deliveries and healthy babies. However, an infant who gets herpes can become very ill or die. If a woman becomes pregnant, it is important to tell her health care provider if either she or her partner has genital herpes.

If a woman has no history of herpes but has a sexual partner who does, it is especially important that she avoid contracting herpes during pregnancy. A first infection during late pregnancy is the most serious risk to the baby.

What About Testing For Herpes?
There are several tests for herpes. If signs and symptoms are present, a health care provider can look at the area, take a sample (culture) from the symptomatic area, and test to see if the herpes virus is present. From this culture test, a second test can be run to tell whether the virus present is HSV-1 or HSV-2. A culture test will not work if the lesions have healed, and might not work if they’re more than a few days old.

Blood tests are also available to test to see if a person has herpes. “Type-specific blood tests” can accurately determine if a person has HSV-1 and/or HSV-2 by looking for an immune response (antibodies) to the virus. Some older blood tests for herpes are not “type-specific” and can give false results. Therefore, if a blood test is performed, it is important to ensure that it can accurately identify HSV antibodies.

The tests used in the Herpevac Trial for Women fall within this type-specific category.

What Is The Meaning Of A ‘Positive’ Herpes Blood Test?
Even the type-specific blood tests, such as the ones used in the Herpevac Trial for Women, have some limitations. The antibodies they detect indicate long-term HSV infection, but these tests alone cannot tell for certain whether the infection is oral or genital.

If someone tests positive for HSV-1 or HSV-2…

• A positive HSV-1 result most likely indicates an oral infection, though HSV-1 can also cause genital infection.
• A positive HSV-2 test result strongly indicates genital herpes. It is rare for oral herpes to be caused by HSV-2.
• It is also possible to test positive for both HSV-1 and HSV-2. Testing positive for both simply means that a person has both oral and genital herpes, which is not uncommon.

What Is The Meaning Of A ‘Negative’ Herpes Blood Test?
Testing negative for HSV-1 and HSV-2 indicates that the individual has not contracted a herpes infection. Females who test negative for both types of HSV may be eligible to participate in the Herpevac Trial for Women.

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