News » Genital Herpes More Common Among New Yorkers
A new study found that more than one in four adults in the city of New York (compared with fewer than one in five nationally) is infected with the Herpes Simplex Virus-2 that causes genital herpes, a lifelong sexually transmitted disease that helps to spread HIV and can result in painful genital sores, although most people don't notice any symptoms.
The study was carried out by lead author Dr Julia Schillinger, Director of Surveillance for the City's Health Department's Bureau of STD Prevention and Control, and is published this month in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Infection with Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2) lasts a lifetime and often has no recognizable symptoms. However, it is a worrying public health issue because it helps to spread HIV, and it can cause serious problems for newborns, although such cases are much rarer. A person exposed to HSV-2 has double the risk of contracting HIV.
To carry out the study Schilling and colleagues used data from the City's 2004 Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYC HANES, modelled on the national version). This surveyed a representative sample of New York City adults aged 20 and over by conducting door to door interviews and personal medical exams to bring together a range of measures covering diabetes to depression, to assess the health of people living in New York. Of the 1,999 participants, 1,784 were tested for HSV-2.
The researchers found that genital herpes is more common among adults in New York City than it is among American adults overall: the infection rates were 26 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. More women appear to be infected than men (36 versus 19 per cent), more blacks than whites (49 versus 14 per cent), and more men who have sex with men are infected compared with those who do not (32 versus 18 per cent).
Also they found that over 80 per cent of infected adults were undiagnosed. And among HSV-2 infected individuals, non-Hispanic blacks (as opposed to non-Hispanic whites), uncircumcised men, and those with no routine place of care were less likely to be diagnosed.
The authors concluded that: "HSV-2 is highly prevalent and largely undiagnosed in New York City", and they suggested that "targeted HSV-2 screening, counseling and treatment may help reduce transmission of HSV-2 and human immunodeficiency virus".
The study was carried out by lead author Dr Julia Schillinger, Director of Surveillance for the City's Health Department's Bureau of STD Prevention and Control, and is published this month in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Infection with Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2) lasts a lifetime and often has no recognizable symptoms. However, it is a worrying public health issue because it helps to spread HIV, and it can cause serious problems for newborns, although such cases are much rarer. A person exposed to HSV-2 has double the risk of contracting HIV.
To carry out the study Schilling and colleagues used data from the City's 2004 Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYC HANES, modelled on the national version). This surveyed a representative sample of New York City adults aged 20 and over by conducting door to door interviews and personal medical exams to bring together a range of measures covering diabetes to depression, to assess the health of people living in New York. Of the 1,999 participants, 1,784 were tested for HSV-2.
The researchers found that genital herpes is more common among adults in New York City than it is among American adults overall: the infection rates were 26 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. More women appear to be infected than men (36 versus 19 per cent), more blacks than whites (49 versus 14 per cent), and more men who have sex with men are infected compared with those who do not (32 versus 18 per cent).
Also they found that over 80 per cent of infected adults were undiagnosed. And among HSV-2 infected individuals, non-Hispanic blacks (as opposed to non-Hispanic whites), uncircumcised men, and those with no routine place of care were less likely to be diagnosed.
The authors concluded that: "HSV-2 is highly prevalent and largely undiagnosed in New York City", and they suggested that "targeted HSV-2 screening, counseling and treatment may help reduce transmission of HSV-2 and human immunodeficiency virus".