genital herpes is not life-threatening in and of itself. but having herpes sores makes it easier for hiv the virus that causes aids to enter your body. not only is there an increased risk for getting hiv if you have genital herpes but having the two diseases together may also make each one worse. a pregnant woman can pass genital herpes on to her baby so it's particularly serious during pregnancy. if you get infected near the end of pregnancy the risk is highest. at least 30% and as many as 50% of newly infected pregnant women give the virus to their babies. you may have heard that genital herpes causes cervical cancer. that's not exactly true. it may be a factor but it's not the main cause. genital herpes is a lifelong condition for which there is no cure. having it can force you to make inconvenient changes in your life particularly in your sex life and it can cause you a lot of pain and discomfort. you simply would rather not have it.
what's the big deal? can genital herpes kill you?