A question from a commenter on my previous post about positive attitudes:

“My partner is allergic to latex. is there anything that I can do with my new partner to prevent transmission or atleast reduce it as much as possible.”

Condoms reduce transmission of HSV by about half (as does the taking of daily antiviral therapy). These two methods, combined, can provide a lot of protection from infection, and make susceptible partners feel quite reassured about the low risk of transmission.

However, every now and then I hear from patients whose partners are allergic to latex. Latex allergies can be life threatening, so nothing to fool around with. Fortunately, there are condoms now made out of polypropylene. These are good choices for those with latex allergies, and are better for reducing the risk of viral STIs than natural animal skin condoms.

I’ve tried them with my partner, and they feel fine – they do make a bit of noise and generate a fair amount of heat (which might be a good thing!). Other than that, they are the same as latex condoms. Give ‘em a try and let us know what you think!

Related Links: Are You at Risk for Genital Herpes?, Coping With Your Partner’s Diagnosis

Technorati Tags: HSV, Herpes, antiviral therapy, condoms