Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Question
Published: November 10, 2008
Dear TeenHealthFX,
if a woman has herpes when she is a teenager, and has a child when she is older does said child get herpes or genetal warts when they are older?
Signed: Can Herpes Get Passed From Mother To Child?
Dear Can Herpes Get Passed From Mother To Child?,
If a pregnant woman has herpes, there are two main ways her child could be affected. The first is if the baby comes in contact with herpes sores during delivery – this could lead to a severe, life-threatening infection for the baby. The second is if a woman has an outbreak of oral herpes and kisses her baby before the cold sore has healed, it is possible that the baby will get an infection. Keep in mind, if a baby is somehow infected by the herpes virus, it isn’t that the baby will simply grow up living with herpes the way an adult who contracted the disease would – but that the baby could deal with very serious medical complications and may even die from the infection.
It is important to know that it is rare for the baby to be affected by a mother’s herpes diagnosis if the proper precautions are taken. If you are pregnant and have herpes, it is important to make your doctor aware of your diagnosis. Your doctor may recommend that you take herpes antiviral medications late in pregnancy to prevent an outbreak from occurring around the time of delivery. If you have an outbreak when you go into labor, the doctor might suggest doing a C-section to reduce the risk of passing the virus to the baby. And, again, after your child is born wait until a cold sore has healed (in the case of oral herpes) before kissing the baby to prevent giving the baby an infection.
Some additional facts and considerations:
- Very rarely is a fetus infected early in the pregnancy.
- Herpes poses the greatest danger to a newborn if a woman gets infected during her pregnancy. So it is very important to take precautions against a herpes infection while pregnant.
- A woman should consider being tested for herpes prior to becoming pregnant (if the pregnancy is planned) or after becoming pregnant (if the pregnancy is unplanned) if she never had genital herpes symptoms and her partner has had a history of genital herpes or she has any concerns about ever having been exposed (testing is helpful because very often with herpes people can be carrying the virus without any noticeable symptoms).
- If you do not have genital herpes, but your partner does, avoid unprotected oral, vaginal, and anal sex. Your partner may also consider taking anti-viral medications throughout the pregnancy to reduce the risk of passing the virus onto the mother-to-be. You and your partner should consult with a medical professional about this possibility.
To learn more about herpes, and to read about ways to prevent the spread of herpes, please read the question “Cold Sores In My Mouth Area and Passing Them Onto Others” under the Sexually Transmitted Disease section of the website.
If you have any concerns that you might have herpes, or you know you have herpes but are unsure of how to address the symptoms, FX strongly suggests that you meet with a medical professional. If you don't have a doctor and live in northern
Signed: TeenHealthFX
While 93% of teenage women report that their first intercourse was voluntary, one-quarter of these young women report that it was unwanted. 
