Herpes Often Unknowingly Spread
Herpes Often Unknowingly Spread
Young Women Who Don’t Know They Are Infected May Fuel Epidemic
In a separate study, University of Washington researchers found that even 10 years after being diagnosed with HSV-2, adults continue to shed virus nearly 14% of days, says Paul Auwaerter, MD, of Johns Hopkins.
The study involved 89 otherwise healthy adults with documented HSV-2 infection. As in the Indiana study, most had no symptoms, he says. Auwaerter, who served on the committee that chose which studies to highlight at the meeting, was not involved with the work.
Together, these findings "show why this virus is so successfully spread among the sexually active population," he tells WebMD.
"Many of these women had no symptoms and hence were unaware they had herpes and hence more likely to spread it. You need to be screened specifically for it," Auwaerter says.
Also at the meeting, researchers reported that the pill and other forms of hormonal contraception may lower a woman's natural defenses against HSV-2.
Gail Shust, MD, and colleagues at Albert Einstein School of Medicine studied the genital fluid from 16 healthy women aged 18 to 25 who were at low risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases. Genital fluid has been shown to have natural antimicrobial activity against HSV-2, Shust says.
Nine of the 16 women were using hormonal contraception: Seven were on the pill, one used injectable Depo-Provera, and one the vaginal ring NuvaRing.
Results showed genital fluid from the women using hormonal contraception had significantly less anti-herpes activity compared with the other women, she tells WebMD.
Shust stresses that the study was small and the findings need confirmation in other research.
Herpes Often Unknowingly Spread
Young Women Who Don’t Know They Are Infected May Fuel Epidemic
Viral Shedding Continues for More Than a Decade
In a separate study, University of Washington researchers found that even 10 years after being diagnosed with HSV-2, adults continue to shed virus nearly 14% of days, says Paul Auwaerter, MD, of Johns Hopkins.
The study involved 89 otherwise healthy adults with documented HSV-2 infection. As in the Indiana study, most had no symptoms, he says. Auwaerter, who served on the committee that chose which studies to highlight at the meeting, was not involved with the work.
Together, these findings "show why this virus is so successfully spread among the sexually active population," he tells WebMD.
"Many of these women had no symptoms and hence were unaware they had herpes and hence more likely to spread it. You need to be screened specifically for it," Auwaerter says.
Hormonal Contraception May Lower the Body's Natural Defenses
Also at the meeting, researchers reported that the pill and other forms of hormonal contraception may lower a woman's natural defenses against HSV-2.
Gail Shust, MD, and colleagues at Albert Einstein School of Medicine studied the genital fluid from 16 healthy women aged 18 to 25 who were at low risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases. Genital fluid has been shown to have natural antimicrobial activity against HSV-2, Shust says.
Nine of the 16 women were using hormonal contraception: Seven were on the pill, one used injectable Depo-Provera, and one the vaginal ring NuvaRing.
Results showed genital fluid from the women using hormonal contraception had significantly less anti-herpes activity compared with the other women, she tells WebMD.
Shust stresses that the study was small and the findings need confirmation in other research.
