Can people die from genital herpes?

Almost never: People can get recurrent viral meningitis from genital herpes(hsv2). People get severe lifethreatening viral encephalitis from oral herpes simplex 1(hsv1) but almost never from hsv2.

No it's not fatal: Genital herpes can be painful but no it's not fatal for adults. However, if a pregnant woman has active herpes lesions during her 3rd trimester of pregnancy she may be advised to have a c-section to avoid passing it to the newborn during delivery. Antiviral medications such as Acyclovir and valacyclovir are both considered safe to take during pregnancy and are advised if there is a history.