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Contents
  • Understanding Suppressive Therapy
  • Benefits for Discordant Couples
  • Considerations in Immunocompromised Patients

Is Suppressive Therapy the Key to Managing Genital Herpes?

Is Suppressive Therapy the Key to Managing Genital Herpes?

What's This About?

Suppressive therapy could be a breakthrough in managing genital herpes. Discover how daily medication can change lives.
Contents
  • Understanding Suppressive Therapy
  • Benefits for Discordant Couples
  • Considerations in Immunocompromised Patients

Understanding Suppressive Therapy

Suppressive therapy involves taking antiviral medication daily to prevent outbreaks. Valacyclovir and acyclovir are commonly used and help reduce the frequency of symptoms and viral shedding. These medications are safe and have minimal side effects.

Benefits for Discordant Couples

For couples where only one partner has herpes, suppressive therapy can significantly lower transmission risk. Daily use of valacyclovir has been shown to cut down the likelihood of passing the virus to an uninfected partner by about 50%. It also reduces the number of days with viral shedding.
Suppressive therapy involves daily use of antiviral medications such as valacyclovir and acyclovir to manage genital herpes symptoms and reduce transmission risk.

Considerations in Immunocompromised Patients

In immunocompromised individuals, suppressive therapy is crucial to control clinical disease. It may be less effective in certain cases, like those not on ART for HIV, but it still plays a vital role in managing symptoms.

FAQs

What is suppressive therapy?

It's daily medication to reduce herpes outbreaks and transmission risk.

How effective is suppressive therapy?

It reduces transmission risk by about 50% and decreases symptoms.

Is it safe to use long-term?

Yes, suppressive therapy is generally safe with minimal side effects.

Wrapping Up

Suppressive therapy offers a promising way to manage and reduce the spread of genital herpes.
Try it out with Doctronic to see if suppressive therapy is right for you.
Additional References
  1. Corey L, Wald A, Patel R, et al. Once-daily valacyclovir to reduce the risk of transmission of genital herpes. N Engl J Med 2004; 350:11.
  2. Gupta R, Wald A, Krantz E, et al. Valacyclovir and acyclovir for suppression of shedding of herpes simplex virus in the genital tract. J Infect Dis 2004; 190:1374.
This article has been reviewed for accuracy by one of the licensed medical doctors working for Doctronic.