Genital Herpes Complications

Although rare, there are a number of complications that can arise from contracting genital herpes. The main complication of genital herpes is if you are infected when you are pregnant. There is a high risk of passing it onto your baby if you are infected during this time, especially if you have an outbreak during birth as the baby is passing right through the infected area. It can have serious implications if the virus is passed to your newborn, which include developmental delays and it can be fatal as it can lead to some life threatening conditions such as meningitis and encephalitis.

Another complication is bacterial infection. When you have an outbreak, a number of blisters occur on the infected area. These eventually burst and turn into open sores that leak fluid. There is a risk of these sores becoming infected by bacteria that flourish in open wounds. This can be treated with antibiotics but it causes a quite a deal of discomfort and can cause unpleasant symptoms.

Genital herpes can have an impact on your daily life, as it can be somewhat of a psychological stress. If you experience outbreak after outbreak, it can be upsetting and frustrating because you feel as though you are never rid of the infection. This can have an impact on your lifestyle and make you feel quite self-conscious. It can also have an impact on your sex life, as to prevent further spreading, you must abstain from sex. If you feel stressed from your condition, then you should talk to someone who can help, either your local GP or a doctor at a sexual health clinic. They may be able to suggest ways of reducing the frequent outbreaks so that you feel better both physically and emotionally.

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