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Different styles of wrestling can also influence the prevalence of herpes gladiatorum. Newer versions of team scoring rules introduced in the 1970s favored wrestlers engaging in the lock-up position; as a result, "the amount of time a wrestler spent in the lock-up position with his opponent increased 62%” ^[1]. By engaging more often in the lock-up position, instances of skin-to-skin contact increased and thus, one’s probability of contracting HHSG also increased as well.

The consequences of engaging in the lock-up position can be seen when examining wrestlers with HHSG. Since the lock-up position involves contact with the upper part of the body, it is noted that more than 70% ^[1] of HHSG outbreaks in wrestlers are found on the head, neck, and face. Furthermore, as most wrestlers are right-handed, most lock-ups occur on the right side of the body and as a result, HHSG outbreaks occur more on the right side of the body. In the most extreme instance, 49.1% ^[1] of HHSG outbreaks occur on the right side of the head in contrast to 22.8% ^[1] of HHSG outbreaks being observed on the left side of the head.

Similarly, in military organizations such as the United States Marines, close-combat training leads to direct skin-to-skin contact, increasing the risk of herpes gladiatorum. Close combat training is a key educational component of these organization and as such, the result is "direct skin-to-skin contact of the head, face, and neck" ^[2], amongst other things. Currently, such programs hosted by the United States Army, Air Force, and Marines do not incorporate any sort of procedure which checks for herpes gladiatorum in service members prior to participation. The introduction of new processes such as the creation of a standardized HHSG diagnosis form along with a medical screening program have been proposed, but face issues as a result of a lack of manpower and regulations such as HIPAA.

Cases of HHSG have also been recorded in boxers, with lesions being recorded on the hands ^[3]. With boxers sometimes opting to share boxing gloves with other boxers, this inherently increases the risk of contracting HHSG as HHSG has been shown to survive on plastic surfaces for up to 4.5 hours ^[3]. Furthermore, the absence of thorough hand wraps can increase the chances of contracting HHSG as this would allow for direct contact between the boxer’s skin and the inside material of boxing gloves.

As previously mentioned, participation in contact sports significantly increases the probability of catching HHSG. For activities such as wrestling and close combat training, participants are in uniforms which come in contact with other participants’ uniforms or their skin ^[4]. For this reason, it is recommended that participants change their uniforms and other associated gear everyday. Furthermore, for items such as wrestling headgear, it is recommended that it be cleaned daily with soap.

In addition to the prevention methods above, participants of close-contact activities are highly recommended to report symptoms of HHSG to either their coaching staff or their superiors as this can help mitigate a larger HHSG outbreak and can be crucial towards an effective treatment plan ^[4].

The use of antiviral agents have been shown to also reduce the number of HHSG outbreaks. In a study conducted from 2001 to 2005, the use of antiviral agents reduced the frequency of HHSG outbreaks by 86-90% ^[4].