HerpesHealth.ca:Transmission Section

No One Wants to "Give" Genital Herpes to Anyone Else

That’s why you’re careful. You and your partner always use condoms – and you’re only sexually intimate when you have no symptoms. You never have sexual contact during an outbreak or even if you think you’re going to have one. You think you’re doing everything possible to protect your partner – but this may not be enough.

In 70% of cases, genital herpes is transmitted when there are no visible signs or symptoms.¹

So what more can you do? You can start by finding out more about how genital herpes is passed on. Because there are more ways to lower the risk of transmitting genital herpes than you may realize.

References

1. Mertz GJ, Benedetti J, Ashley R, et al. Risk Factors for the Sexual Transmission of Genital Herpes. Annals of Internal Medicine 1992;116:197-202.

2. Sacks SL. The Truth About Herpes. 4th ed. West Vancouver, BC: Gordon Soules Book Publishers Ltd.;1997.

3. Ebel C, Wald A. Managing Herpes: How to Live and Love With a Chronic STD. Research Triangle Park, NC: American Social Health Association;2002.

4. Wald A, Zeh J, Selke S, et al. Genital Shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus Among Men. JID 2002;186(Suppl1):S34-S39.

5. Wald A, Zeh J, Selke S, et al. Virologic Characteristics of Subclinical and Symptomatic Genital Herpes Infections. NEJM 1995; 333(12):770-775.

6. Aoki, FY. Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections 2006 Edition: Genital Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections. Public Health Agency of Canada. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/sti_2006/pdf/sti2006_e.pdf. Accessed May 15, 2006.

7. Wald A, Krantz E. Selke S, et al. Knowledge of partner’s genital herpes protects against herpes simplex virus type 2 acquisition. J Infect Dis 2006;194:42-52.

8. Green J, Ferrier S, Kocsis A, et al. Determinants of disclosure of genital herpes to partners. Sex Transm Infect 2003;79:42-44.

9. Health Canada. What You Need to Know About Sexually Transmitted Infections. Ottawa, ON: Health Canada; 2002. Available at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/std-mts/sti_s.html and http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/diseases-maladies/gonorrh_e.html.