How to avoid the transmission of Oral herpes?
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Herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, affecting an estimated 50 percent of the adult population in the United States. Unfortunately, about 90 percent of people in the country remain undiagnosed and likely to transmit the virus without knowing about it. Considering the fact that the number of herpes cases in the world are on the rise, it has become critical to find ways of curbing transmission of the herpes virus.
While refraining from having sex is certainly the best way of preventing the transmission of herpes, it cannot be considered as a viable solution. The challenge here is to allow people to have physical intimacy without the risk of spreading sexually transmitted infections.
Here are a few ways by which you can prevent the transmission of oral herpes:
·Avoid physical contact with body fluids of the infected person: To reduce your chances of contracting herpes, refrain from touching skin, saliva or mucus membranes of the person having lesions. Lesions tend to have a yellowish fluid in the event of an outbreak, which is a stage where the affected person is most likely to spread the infection.
·Use protection: As mentioned earlier, herpes can be transmitted by direct physical contact. Having said this, we don’t demean the importance of using condoms and other barriers. Protection against herpes can be achieved by using latex condoms, although they aren't 100 percent efficient in warding off the herpes virus. It is worth mentioning that spermicides don’t act as a shield against herpes. the use of dental dams have also been known to be effective against spread of herpes but these aren't 100 percent effective, given the nature of herpes.
·Consumption of antiviral drugs: People living with herpes experience outbreaks on a fairly regular basis. This is a phase in which they're advised not to have sex with their partners as the chances of spreading herpes is extremely high. Antiviral drugs have been scientifically proven to reduce the occurrence of such outbreaks. In addition, they also help in reducing the severity of such occurrences. The tenure of your treatment would depend on the symptoms as well as how frequently they occur. Besides, there are ointments and OTC drugs that can be taken if you wish to get intimate with your partner.
Avoiding the transmission of herpes is fairly easy provided you have understood the condition and nature of the herpes simplex virus. While it is advised to get into a relationship with a person already living with herpes for he would be able to understand you better and you wouldn’t need to have ‘the talk’, following the aforementioned tips would ensure you live a life of contentment and happiness.
Also read: Tips to Avoid STD for Lesbians