How does one with herpes not pass the disease?

[emmaT]

A close family friend confided in me a few years ago that she had herpes. Since then she's had a baby.

I don't want to be like . . . how. . . what- because I don't want her to be embarrassed.

So, I ask you: How is it possible for someone with herpes to have the unprotected sex required to conceive without passing the disease to their partner?

[vsalinas]

There are a number of factors involved with transmission of the disease.  A person with Herpes is not contagious all of the time.  There is a certain time where someone will be shedding the virus and also have an outbreak.  This is the time when it is possible to spread Herpes.  Then the virus will go into remission.  It is a cycle.  So it is possible to have unprotected sex without passing it onto a partner.  But the tricky thing is that the person who has herpes may not always know when they are shedding or have an outbreak.