What are the Complications of Genital Herpes ?
Genital herpes can cause recurrent painful genital sores in many adults, and herpes infection can be severe in people with suppressed immune systems. Regardless of severity of symptoms, genital herpes frequently causes psychological distress in people who know they are infected.
In addition, genital HSV can lead to potentially fatal infections in babies. It is important that women avoid contracting herpes during pregnancy because a newly acquired infection during late pregnancy poses a greater risk of transmission to the baby. If a woman has active genital herpes at delivery, a cesarean delivery is usually performed. Fortunately, infection of a baby from a woman with herpes infection is rare.
Herpes may play a role in the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection, and it can make HIV-infected individuals more infectious.
In healthy adults, genital herpes generally doesn't cause other serious permanent complications besides the sores. These other complications may occur :
- Contraction of other STDs. Having genital herpes can increase your risk of transmitting or contracting other sexually transmitted diseases, including the AIDS virus.
- Newborn infection. A mother with open sores can spread the infection to her newborn as the infant passes through the birth canal. Genital herpes may result in brain damage, blindness or death for the newborn. Mothers experiencing their first outbreak of herpes at the time of delivery are the most likely to transmit the infection to their babies.
Genital herpes infections usually do not cause serious health problems in healthy adults. In some people whose immune systems do not work properly, however, genital herpes outbreaks can be unusually severe and long lasting.
Occasionally, people with normal immune systems can get herpes infection of the eye, called ocular herpes. Ocular herpes is usually caused by HSV-1 but sometimes by HSV-2. It can occasionally result in serious eye disease, including blindness.
A woman with herpes who is pregnant can pass the infection to her baby. A baby born with herpes might die or have serious brain, skin, or eye problems. Pregnant women who have herpes, or whose sex partner has herpes should discuss the situation with her health care provider. Together they can make a plan to reduce her or her baby’s risk of getting infected. Babies who are born with herpes do better if the disease is recognized and treated early.
Genital herpes, like other genital diseases that cause sores, is important in the spread of HIV infection. A person infected with herpes may have a greater risk of getting HIV. This may be due to the open sores caused by the herpes infection or by other factors in the immune system. In addition, HIV-positive people may be more contagious for herpes.
The above information thankfully comes from the Mayo Clinic.com at the following link.
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