Counseling and Treatment

HerpeSelect type-specific information can aid in diagnosis, developing a treatment plan, patient and partner counseling and evaluating prognosis for future outbreaks. Type-specific serology tests can help provide physicians with the information they need to establish treatment options and provide appropriate patient counseling.

Counseling -- click here to download counseling suggestions

Patient counseling may vary based upon the type of herpes a patient has contracted. HSV-1 and HSV-2 differ in terms of:

• prognosis and status of sexual health
• risk of transmission to partner
• risks during pregnancy
• behavior modification

Rather than provide newly-diagnosed patients with counseling and treatment recommendations in a single lengthy schedule-busting session, physicians should consider multiple shorter visits spaced over a 3 to 4 week period. This is also appropriate for patients having complicated clinical management problems or needing extra social support for coping with their genital herpes.

Treatment

Genital herpes has no cure. However, some prescription medications are available that can reduce the number of outbreaks for a patient. Recommendations for treatment may vary depending on the severity and frequency of outbreaks.

* This does not imply an endorsement of the HerpeSelect assays by CDC.