Parents can play a crucial role in helping their young children to utilize their own values, expectations, and aspirations in deciding an appropriate time in life to indulge in sexual activities. They can also give them a true knowledge about adopting safety measures during sexual intercourse to avoid the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Young people who can talk with their parents about sex tend to delay their sexual activities and are more likely to engage in safe sex practices to avoid herpes. Below are certain strategies that can be used when talking to your young children about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as genital herpes.

Be a good communicator

Talking with your teen about sex doesn’t mean you are encouraging them to have sex. It is ideal to start talking to your child about STIs as soon as they think about dating. Not all teens are comfortable discussing sex with their parents. It’s important to encourage them to talk with someone they are comfortable with, someone who can provide them with accurate STI facts. In certain cases, teens having genital herpes may not even be aware of their infection, because of the dormant behaviour of the herpes simplex virus. So you need to explain to your sexually-active young children to get screened regularly for STDs such as genital herpes, so that they don’t run into more serious health problems.

What to do if your teenage son/daughter has genital herpes?

If your teenage son or daughter has painful, red blisters around the mouth or genitals, it could be an indication that they have genital herpes. Prescription antiviral medications are recommended for safe and effective genital herpes treatment. Valtrex and Famvir are two antiviral medications which can help in effective control and treatment of symptoms of an initial outbreak. You can take Valtrex for cold sores for three days under proper medical supervision. Famvir for shingles can be taken as a single-day treatment as soon as the initial signs and symptoms appear.