Antiviral therapy for genital herpes in nonpregnant and pregnant women

There have been major developments in basic and clinical research in the field of antiviral therapy. The health care provider needs to know the availability of numerous antiviral compounds and begin to view them as we do antibiotics. They need to be used selectively to modify infections and prevent the morbidity and mortality associated with viral infections, such as herpes simplex virus (HSV, genital herpes). Therapy of these infections is required to treat not only the patient but also to prevent infection of sexual partners and the newborn. Numerous and varied antiviral compounds have been approved by the FDA to treat genital HSV infections. They all have the same mechanism of action. Acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir have been approved for the treatment of primary and recurrent disease. All three agents can be used for daily administration for the suppression of recurrent disease. Use of these antiviral compounds in the nonpregnant and pregnant woman can significantly alter the disease and influence transmission rates along with decreasing the morbidity and mortality associated with HSV infections.