Efficacy of Condoms in Prevention of Herpes
Author: bcured
Author: bcured
Recent estimates indicate that 22% of persons who are older than 12 years in the United States are infected with HSV-2. Except for rare perinatal acquisition, HSV-2 infections are acquired by contact with infected secretions during sexual encounters. As HSV can be shed from both mucosal and skin surfaces, concern has been raised regarding the ability of condoms to reduce sexual transmission of the virus. HSV-2 establishes a chronic infection in humans for which there is no cure. Most people who acquire HSV-2 do so at an early age, often by the time they reach 30, and must live with a wide variety of symptoms throughout their lifetime. Primary infection typically presents with localized pain, pruritis, ulcerations, fevers and malaise. More severe complications such as neurological involvement, including meningitis, are not uncommon. Recurrences of HSV-2 are frequent, with over 90% of primary infections leading to recurrent episodes in the first year of infection, with a median of four annually. Between clinical recurrences, most people shed the virus asymptomatically; they are infectious at those times. Additionally, ulcerative sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been associated with higher rates of HIV acquisition, and HSV-2 infection may hasten the progression of HIV disease. The persistence of HSV-2 and the absence of symptoms during viral shedding afford many opportunities to transmit the infection, both through sexual contact and during delivery of newborns. This has led to HSV-2 being one of the most prevalent STIs worldwide. Given the morbidity associated with HSV-2 infection and the absence of curative therapy, strategies aimed at prevention of disease acquisition warrant increasing attention from healthcare practitioners and public health leaders. The administration of antiviral therapy to persons infected with HSV-2 results in decreased viral shedding, but has not yet been shown to decrease disease transmission to partners. Campaigns aimed at behavioural change have been a cornerstone of STI prevention. Increased awareness of STIs through education and testing, avoidance of highrisk behaviours and practising safer sex have been effective in reducing the incidence of gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently established a prevention agenda for genital herpes, which included all of these activities. It states also: The consistent and correct use of latex condoms can help protect against infection. However, condoms do not provide complete protection. Consistent and correct use of latex condoms appears to protect women from HSV-2 infection, and should be emphasized in pregnant women at risk of HSV-2 to prevent neonatal herpes. There is active research aimed at development of candidate vaccine constructs against HSV-2. Early clinical trials have been disappointing, though a recombinant glycoprotein vaccine may offer partial protection against HSV-2 acquisition in seronegative women. Additionally, the emergence of drug-resistant strains of HSV is a growing problem and represents a serious concern both in terms of clinical management and of viral ecology. Resistance to all major herpes treatments, such as acyclovir, vidarabine and foscarnet, has been increasingly observed, especially amongst those immuno-compromised. Furthermore, DNA polymerase mutants induced by prolonged or repeated therapy with vidarabine or foscarnet are often resistant to combination therapy with existing compounds for a potentially stronger genital herpes treatment. These observations underscore the critical importance of our unique treatment for herpes. They are new, highly effective alternative antiviral agents for herpes simplex treatment. The antiviral activity of the OutbreakBalm-Rx brand of herpes treatments is well-documented, and principally due to its direct virucidal effects. Viruses exhibit rapid rates of mutation which can make immunity difficult to sustain, especially considering chemical drugs for herpes contain only a single antiviral agent. Once a cell is infected it is difficult to selectively inhibit the virus without harming the host cell. As a result, much interest has focused on plants as strong allies in restoring immune strength and inhibiting the spread of viral diseases. The antiviral properties of medicinal plant extracts particularly for herpes treatment have received considerable attention from the National Academy of Sciences and medical professionals on a global scale. To learn more, please go to http://www.naturespharma.org.About the Author:
staff of Nature Power Company, which is a network company dedicated to promoting customers' websites and developing softwares. You can go to the following websites to learn more about our natural organic products. http://www.bcured.net http://www.naturespharma.org