Genital herpes and pregnancy

Abstract

In addition to the morbidity of genital herpes, there is also significant morbidity and mortality in neonatal herpes. A woman with a history of herpes infection should be counseled about the risks in pregnancy and advised to discuss this information with her physician during future pregnancies. Neonatal morbidity and mortality can be reduced by prenatal screening of women in high-risk groups and by appropriate use of cesarean section in women with active genital herpes at term.