Outdated attitudes to genital herpes still linger
4 March 2003
Results of a global survey of people living with genital herpes, conducted over a 12 month period via the Internet, reveal that attitudes to this infection have not moved forward despite recent advances in management of the disease.
Results of the survey, conducted by the International Herpes Management Forum (IHMF) and the International Herpes Alliance (IHA), were released this week in Paris at the 10th Annual Meeting of the IHMF and included worldwide responses from 2,075 people with genital herpes and 622 doctors.
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection usually caused by herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). The infection is characterised by painful and usually recurring blisters on or around the genitals, and is thought to affect 2 in 10 Australians.
Of the survey respondents, 93 per cent said that the infection affected their sex life, and major concerns were whether the infection was curable and how easily the virus can be transmitted to others.
People with genital herpes reported a range of strong emotions when they learnt of their diagnosis, including feeling hurt, upset, depressed, ashamed and confused.
Most people — 71 per cent of survey respondents — found that telling someone of their infection was difficult, and 31 per cent had not spoken of their infection to their partner at all.
In responding to the survey results, Dr Sally Cockburn, Australian GP and media health commentator, noted: ‘An online survey offered people with herpes an anonymous voice to express their key concerns.’
‘The survey results highlight the challenges we face in managing this common infection,’ she said.
Although genital herpes cannot be cured, today antiviral medications such as aciclovir (e.g. Zovirax), famciclovir (e.g. Famvir) or valaciclovir (e.g. Valtrex) can be used to treat symptoms when they occur, and can also be taken daily to help reduce the number and severity of recurrent episodes in the longer term.
The survey showed that 21 per cent of respondents were unaware that they could take daily medication to help suppress recurrent episodes, and of those taking medication, only 30 per cent were taking daily suppressive medication.
Last Reviewed: 04 March 2003
