Sexual Health | Genital ulcer disease | Herpes in Pregnancy

Herpes in Pregnancy
Session Overview
Description
This session covers the relationship between herpes (HSV) stage and pregnancy outcome, the management of HSV in pregnancy as well as strategies to limit neonatal disease. The session will also cover the epidemiology, clinical features, and investigation of neonatal herpes.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe the epidemiology of neonatal HSV
• List the clinical features of neonatal HSV
• Explain the relationships between HSV stage and timing with the risk of neonatal transmission and pregnancy outcome
• Manage HSV in pregnancy
• Limit HSV transmission in pregnancy
• Investigate a baby for neonatal HSV

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should complete the following:

• Session - 02_12 Diagnosing Genital Herpes (260-0029)
• Session - 04_01 Genital Ulceration: Causes and Investigation (260-0051)　
• Session - 04_10 Genital Herpes: Virology and Pathogenesis (260-0060)
• Session - 04_12 Initial and Recurrent Episode HSV(260-0062)　

Management of herpes during pregnancy can be complex and challenging.

Although the risk of serious sequelae to the mother are rare there are significant risks to the neonate. This can cause a great deal of anxiety amongst pregnant women.

The management of herpes in pregnancy has changed over the last two decades, particularly with regards to mode of delivery and is dependant both upon the stage of HSV infection (ie primary/recurrent) and the gestation at which HSV is diagnosed.

This session covers the clinical features of neonatal herpes and the management of HSV in pregnancy.