A Troubling Trend: Genital Herpes Infections are on the Rise
While studying the pathogenesis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Portland, OR in the early 1980s, genital herpes had replace gonorrhea as the scourge of the sexually transmitted disease community. To help to combat the spread of genital herpes, my labmates and I joined the Portland Venereal Disease Action Committee, a grass roots organization that provided public outreach and education about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). A few years later, the Regan Administration finally admitted to the American public that HIV/AIDS was real and that HIV infections were likely to reach epidemic proportions. While genital herpes can be painful, uncomfortable and often emotionally debilitating, the unprecedented morbidity and mortality of HIV/AIDS almost pushed genital herpes into infectious diseases obscurity. Now that HIV/AIDS is more treatable than ever before, epidemiologists and sexually transmitted diseases experts have begun to reexamine the infection rates and incidence of other STDs (including herpes, gonorrhea, Chlamydia and syphilis) among Americans. To that end, I read today a very troubling article about the infection rates and incidence of genital herpes among sexually active Americans. Here are some of the facts gleaned from a recent CDC report on genital herpes:
- One in six Americans aged 14 to 49 are infected with genital herpes, making the virus — herpes simplex 2 — one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States
- Research shows that people with genital herpes are two to three times as likely to acquire H.I.V. as those without herpes
- H.I.V.-infected individuals also infected with genital herpes are more likely to transmit H.I.V. to others
- Infection rates for women are almost twice the rate of men
- Blacks are three times as likely to be infected as whites
- Black women have the highest rates of infection, with almost half infected
Looking back, it is understandable why HIV/AIDS took precedent over genital herpes infections. After all, most people usually don’t die from genital herpes. However, the rising infection rates of the disease suggest that the American public needs to be better educated the spread and prevention of genital herpes infections. There is no question that discussions about STDs are embarrassing and often difficult. However, these days, they can be the difference between live and death!
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!!
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