Can you give vaginal birth if you have herpes?

Depends: The biggest risk (death, encephalitis) for a newborn comes if the mothers 1st outbreak comes during or near the onset of labor/delivery. About 30-40% will become infected. During secondary outbreaks the risk drops some, with 5%+ becoming infected. Many can control secondary outbreaks with meds and deliver vaginally but others schedule a CS before the water breaks.