Genital herpes infections increase in Scotland

Genital infections caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 have become more common in western Scotland over the past 15 years, particularly among young women. Of 3181 swabs that were positive for the virus, Scoular and colleagues (p 1366) found 63% were from women and 37% were from men. Presence of the virus was strongly associated with female sex and younger age. In 1986-8, 33% of all positive swabs contained herpes simplex virus type 1, rising progressively to 56% in 1998-2000. These results suggest that counselling and clinical management strategies may need to be revised.


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Relevant Article

Longitudinal study of genital infection by herpes simplex virus type 1 in western Scotland over 15 years
Anne Scoular, John Norrie, Graeme Gillespie, Noreen Mir, and W F Carman
BMJ 2002 324: 1366-1367. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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