HELPFUL TIPS ON HERPES PREVENTION
• Keep the number of sex partners you have down to a minimum. You can never tell if someone has herpes-until it’s too late.
• Avoid public lavatories if possible. Some recent work has shown that herpes virus can survive on lavatory seats for a number of hours and on cotton gauze for 72 hours.
• If someone has sores of any kind, skin contact should be avoided. The sufferer from recurrent herpes should not have intercourse during an attack. Many people with recurrent attacks have a warning when one is about to occur. This varies from individual to individual but can be an itch, tingle or burning in the genital area. This type of sensation rules out sex until the sores have healed. These precautions also apply to kissing (not just on the genitals) someone with a cold sore on the lips.
• Oral sex increases the risk of getting genital herpes because the mouth is such a reservoir for the virus. Some people overcome this by using a sheath on the man before fellating him. Unfortunately, although this confers some protection it is not totally safe because the pores in the latex of the sheath are larger than the herpes virus and some could pass through.
All of this may sound daunting but in fact the risks involved in sexual activity between individuals who have no sores are very small indeed. Unfortunately, lesions inside the woman’s vagina or on her cervix are not visible and it can be impossible to know if she is ’safe’.
• Vaccines are being researched but so far the outlook is not very encouraging and experts think that a safe, effective vaccine is a long way off, and possibly may never be found.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching the sores.
• Don’t share towels-it is just possible to pass the virus to someone else via a towel.
• Never use saliva to wet your contact lenses.
• Not everyone who has one attack of herpes goes on to have another-about half of all sufferers never get another attack. Keep a record of when you have your attacks (if you have them repeatedly). You may find that you get them under specific conditions. These can be avoided, at least to some extent, to prevent more attacks. Here are some conditions that some people find make their herpes worse or brings on an attack:
1. Tiredness or stress.
2. A particular time of the menstrual cycle.
3. Friction from intercourse or masturbation.
4. Sunlight and sun beds.
5. Tight clothing.
6. Nylon knickers.
The avoidance of any or all of these will help prevent herpes in at least some people.
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