Unprotected sex can lead to a host of problems, not just unplanned babies says NICOLA MAKARITIS

IT’S EVERYONE’S nightmare to discover they have a sexually transmitted disease but Sophia Andreou was six months pregnant and only 17 years old when she found out she had genital herpes.

Sophie had noticed little white ulcers around her genitals but because she had always been prone to thrush, she didn’t think much of them. She was also itchy and felt a tingling sensation, something that she had never experienced before.

She was living in Africa at the time and on a normal routine visit to her obstetrician, he said he would write a prescription for her genital herpes. She was so innocent at that age she didn’t even know what that was. Her doctor was also a friend of her husband’s family and so, registering the confusion she showed, he said bluntly “Kostas has herpes and has given it to you.”

“When he explained that genital herpes was a sexually transmitted disease (STD), I was shocked and angry that my husband had not told me, and even his friend knew. He was 14 years older than me and had been married before. I met him when I was just 16, we had sex, I fell pregnant and we got married. My mother had died when I was young and my father suffered from depression. So when Kostas came along, it was like a breath of fresh air. We had unprotected sex from the beginning, even though we had discussed contraception, he told me he hated wearing condoms, so I didn’t think anything of it. I just wanted to please him. That is where the trust issue comes into things. Fifteen years ago there were probably less STDs around than there are now, but the ‘trust’ issue was always a problem in our marriage after that.”

When she confronted her husband, all he could say in defense was “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to lose you.”

Sophia returned to Cyprus last year, as a single parent of two. When she thinks about what her ex-husband did to her she still feels very angry with him for being so selfish. She was told by the doctor that any sexual partner she had should always use protection, even though the risk was lower when she was clear of the symptoms. “Fortunately,” Sophie goes on, “my two children are without any problems related to herpes. Quite a few pregnant women who have herpes have to have a caesarian. I was lucky in that I didn’t have an outbreak or experience symptoms while in labour, but it still made me feel that there was something ‘bad’ about having the virus and that I was ‘dirty’”.

Sophia’s experience has left her cautious. She realises that it all could have been a lot worse; her symptoms have not recurred but she has still paid a high price for irresponsible behaviour.

About genital herpes

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection that causes blisters and sores on the skin around the genitals.

You can get genital herpes through skin-to-skin contact with someone who has the herpes virus. Once you have genital herpes, the virus stays in your body for the rest of your life but is inactive (dormant) most of the time. However, some things can trigger a herpes episode, such as sunbathing, being run down, stress and friction against the skin.

Symptoms

An outbreak usually begins within two weeks of initial infection and manifests as an itching or tingling sensation followed by redness of the skin. Finally, a blister forms. The blisters and subsequent ulcers that form when the blisters break, are usually very painful to touch and may last from seven days to two weeks. The infection is definitely contagious from the time of itching to the time of complete healing of the ulcer, usually within two to four weeks. However, infected individuals can also transmit the virus to their sex partners in the absence of a recognised outbreak.

After the symptoms from the first episode clear up, the virus lies dormant in your body but can become active from time to time. These are called recurrent episodes or outbreaks. Not everyone will get recurrent episodes of genital herpes. If you do, symptoms tend to be milder than during the first episode. You may have tingling or itching in the infected area up to two days before any blisters or sores are visible on your skin. There are usually fewer blisters which are less painful and which clear up faster.

Causes

You can get genital herpes if you have unprotected vaginal or anal sex, share sex toys or have genital contact with someone who has the infection. The virus can also be transferred through oral sex with someone who gets cold sores. It can also be passed to the genital area on the fingers.

The herpes virus leaves the skin (this is called shedding) just before a blister appears, while it's visible and until the blister is totally healed; it's more likely to be passed on during these times.

You can get genital herpes if you are sexually active, but you are at greater risk if you have unprotected sex (without a condom), especially if you have more than one sexual partner.

Self-help treatment

There are things that you can do to help relieve any pain or discomfort from genital herpes.

• Take an over-the-counter painkiller, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
• Bathe in salt water (add half a cup of household salt to your bath).
• l Put an ice pack onto the affected area (you shouldn't apply ice directly to your skin - place a cloth between the ice and your skin).
• Apply petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) to the infected area.
• Apply a mild anaesthetic cream or lotion, around your urethra if urinating is painful. Sitting in warm water when you urinate can also ease some discomfort.
• Wear loose fitting underwear and clothes around the infected area.
• Try not to touch the sores and if you do, wash your hands thoroughly to prevent spreading the infection.
• Don't have sex until your symptoms have cleared up.