BMJ  2005;330:157-158 (22 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7484.157

Editorial

Reducing the transmission of genital herpes

Antiviral therapy is effective but should be used with safer sex practices and counselling

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Seven years ago, an editorial published in this journal called for studies to clarify the role of antiviral treatment in preventing the transmission of genital herpes.1 In the intervening years, seroprevalence studies in the United States have shown that the rate of infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) has risen to 22%,2 whereas in Europe, rates between 4% and 44% have been reported.3 Support for an association between HSV-2 and HIV acquisition and transmission has increased, and anxiety about infecting their sexual partner is still among the top three concerns of people with genital herpes.4-6 We know that antiviral treatment reduces symptomatic and asymptomatic shedding of HSV from genital mucosa,7-9 but until now we have not known whether this would translate into a real, clinically important reduction in the transmission of genital herpes to an uninfected partner.

A recently published study was undertaken in 1484 heterosexual, immunocompetent . . . [Full text of this article]

Simon E Barton, clinical director

Dept of HIV/Genitourinary Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London SW10 9NH (simon.barton@chelwest.nhs.uk)


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Relevant Article

Genital herpes and its management
P Sen and S E Barton
BMJ 2007 334: 1048-1052. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Sen, P, Barton, S E (2007). Genital herpes and its management. BMJ 334: 1048-1052 [Full text]  

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bmj.com, 11 Feb 2005 [Full text]
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