Outstanding up-to-date summary of the genital herpes virus, symptoms, testing, and treatment by two of the world’s leading herpes researchers and experts. Published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), among the most widely read medical journals, Dr. Christine Johnston and Dr. Anna Wald include, among many others, the following facts and recommendations:
- Almost 90 percent of HSV-infected people are asymptomatic and do NOT know they are infected,
- Having HSV-2 genital herpes increases your risk of getting HIV 2-3 fold (200-300 percent),
- ALL patients with genital herpes should be offered daily suppressive therapy with acyclovir, valacyclovir or famciclovir,
- US FDA issued an alert in December 2023 that commonly used herpes antibody tests can be falsely (incorrectly) positive and recommended confirmatory testing with a western blot assay,
- A genital herpes diagnosis can result in shame, anxiety and depression; patients may have serious concerns about when they acquired the infection and becoming objects of societal stigma, worry about disclosing their genital herpes diagnosis, and mourn the loss of their sexual health.
Prefer listening over reading? You may also be interested in this brief JAMA podcast with Dr. Christine Johnston on the Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Genital Herpes.
It’s important to stay updated on current research and make sure to have the accurate facts around the Herpes Simplex Virus. There is a lot of misinformation out there and we want to make sure we and all of our advocates are spreading awareness with the correct and factual information.
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Your writing has a way of making even the most complex topics accessible and engaging. I’m constantly impressed by your ability to distill complicated concepts into easy-to-understand language.
Thank you! We want to make medical information accessible and easy to understand for everyone!