We had a great turnout at our webinar last week featuring Terri Warren and her preliminary data from her Herpes survey. Thank you to everyone who joined and brought all of their questions!
This webinar was recorded and is provided at the link below for anyone who was unable to join or wants to rewatch it. A transcript is provided as well. This is a great resource for anyone newly diagnosed or anyone who has questions that need answering.
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There were over 1,200 participants in the survey and some of the key findings from the survey are summarized below:
Age Group Affected and Diagnosis Information
Terri Warren, NP, highlighted that the most common age group affected was 25-34, and that 35% of respondents were in this age group. She also noted that 58% of respondents were given little or no information about their diagnosis, and that 32% of those diagnosed had never had an outbreak.
Suppression Treatment and Improving Experiences
She also shared that 25% of survey respondents had been on suppression for over six months, while others used alternative therapies or didn’t take any medication at all. The most common reasons for choosing a treatment option were peace of mind, reducing the severity of outbreaks, and reducing the risk of infecting others. Terri also noted that many people expressed dissatisfaction with their current treatment and suggested ways to improve the experience, such as reducing transmission, frequency, and severity of outbreaks, and improving the delivery system.
Additional takeaways from the meeting:
Vaccine Trials, Acyclovir, Valacyclovir, Pritelivir
Terri discussed the ongoing vaccine trials for HSV-1 and HSV-2, comparing the efficacy and tolerability of Acyclovir and Valacyclovir. She also touched on the discontinuation of Pritelivir due to side effects and its potential reconsideration for immunocompromised individuals. She also noted inconsistencies with the inhibition assay offered by Quest, indicating a possible false positive.
HSV Infections, Vaccines, and Suppressive Medication
She recommended obtaining multiple PCR swabs from suspected areas to increase detection chances. Terri mentioned the potential of the Moderna and GSK vaccines in reducing HSV-2 and potentially HSV-1 infections. She also discussed the impact of estrogen levels on HSV outbreaks and the ongoing research into the HSV-dementia link. Terri expressed concern about individuals taking suppressive medication without confirming their infection status, suggesting they stop medication for three months to allow antibody production.
PCR Swabs and Gene Editing Optimism
Terri discussed that PCR swabs can detect asymptomatic viral shedding from thin skin areas. She expressed optimism about gene editing and upcoming vaccine trials from Moderna and GSK, noting promising preliminary animal data. Terri clarified that shedding primarily occurs from thin-skinned areas like the genitals and mouth, not the entire body.
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A special thanks to Terri Warren donating her time to discuss her survey results with us as well as provide her expertise and answer everyone’s questions! If you would like to complete the survey, it can be found on her website here.
About Terri Warren
Terri Warren, nurse practitioner, is the owner of the Westover Research Group (formerly the Westover Heights Clinic). Terri has served as principal investigator or sub-investigator on more than 120 clinical trials evaluating various testing mechanisms for sexually transmitted infections, the efficacy of experimental vaccines, and pharmacologic interventions for numerous human infections. Her area of special expertise is the herpes simplex virus. Terri also serves on the medical advisory board for Herpes Cure Advocacy.