Q: My 31 years old newly married brother had developed swelling in the groin last month, which was very painful. He also had small blisters on his penis and was diagnosed with genital herpes. He was given Acyclovir tabs for a week. But the problem has recurred after the medication was stopped. His HSV 1 test was weakly positive and HSV 2 was strongly positive. His wife has read that it is a sexually transmitted disease but she does not have any problem. And, my brother says that he has never had any sort of sexual relations before marriage. The doctor says that the problem will recur every now and then. Are there any chances of him getting the disease without sexual contact? What can he do to prevent recurrences? Can he have sex with his wife and if so, what are the precautions he must take?

A:Herpes genitalis is believed to be sexually transmitted. Recurrences are likely to occur whenever the body resistance is down from any cause. Therefore lead a good lifestyle. Protected sex will reduce the risk of transmission to the partner.