Takeaways from the 2024 CDC STI Prevention Conference
This past week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the CDC STI Prevention Conference in Atlanta, Georgia! As a member of Herpes Cure Advocacy, it was great to be able to tell everyone about our organization and spread awareness around Herpes. It was an unforgettable experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity.
Our HCA Board President and member of our Medical Advisory Board, Dr. Jeffrey Klausner had this to say about the conference: “the conference provided a great opportunity to press the importance of herpes to leaders of Federal agencies like the NIH and the CDC and engage with staff of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health. There was an overwhelming sense from attendees why we were not doing enough about herpes in the United States. I was excited by the NIH presentations on the therapeutic and preventive herpes vaccines in progress.”
“There was an overwhelming sense from attendees why we were not doing enough about herpes in the United States. “
Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, HCA Board President
The conference consisted of three days’ worth of lectures, classes, and networking among medical professionals from across the country. From researchers, doctors, professors, to students; all were in attendance. Below are my highlights and concerns:
Highlights
- Herpes Cure Advocacy held a pre-conference event on the Herpes Cure Pipeline 3.5! We had over 450 people registered online and great attendance in person as well. You can view a recording of the presentation here.
- The first talk of the conference was a panel discussion led by Dr. Jono Mermin who is the Director of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at the CDC. Right at the beginning of the discussion he gave a shoutout to Herpes Cure Advocacy and the work we do!
- Dr. Kevin O’Callaghan with the CDC gave a 10-minute presentation on A Simple-X Question: Should Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infection be Nationally Notifiable?It was an interesting talk on how there are 7 criteria that must be considered for making a condition a nationally notifiable disease and Neonatal Herpes meets 6 of the 7 criteria. It was crazy to me that despite it meeting almost all the criteria, it still wasn’t good enough to be made notifiable. Not only that, but the one criterion that it didn’t meet was the public interest element. This is unfortunate because if Herpes was talked about more, I think it would become more of a public interest.
- Two posters were presented at the conference! One was by us titled Advocacy Works! Herpes Cure Advocacy Changes Federal Response. We were excited to see another poster on Herpes titled Young Adults (18-34) residing in the South are an important demographic group seeking healthcare for genital herpes by Dr. Brian Emerson and Dr. William Pearson.
- We had a booth! Our booth had a lot of traction, and I had a lot of great conversations with people regarding Herpes, HCA, and the work we do. Many people had no idea we existed and were glad that we were advocating for change. I even had a couple people come up to while I was at the booth and tell me they have HSV themselves and that a cure/vaccine is long overdue for us. It was validating to have so many excited about our work.
Concerns
- It was extremely concerning how many medical professionals were uneducated around Herpes. There were two distinct conversations that really highlighted the need for better HSV education for all, especially medical professionals.
“we don’t test our patients for HSV, but that is the main thing that everyone who comes into our office asks about, is Herpes. I don’t know what to tell them though, as I don’t really understand what the antibodies even mean.“
Direct quote from an obgyn at the conference
- While in line for drinks, another conversation was had with a medical professional who claimed stigma should be the focus when it comes to Herpes, not a cure. And when she was told about the link between Herpes and HIV, all she said was that we have PrEP for HIV. It was upsetting how dismissive she was about Herpes.
- It was unfortunate that at a conference with thousands registered, Herpes was only mentioned during a 10-minute presentation. 3 Days. 30 hours. And only 10 minutes dedicated to Herpes. Furthermore, over 200 posters were presented at the conference, and only two of them were dedicated to Herpes. It was concerning with the lack of HSV related topics on the agenda as well as the lack of any community presence or patient perspectives on the agenda.
- From discussion with those in the field it is clear many providers are not following CDC treatment guidelines – stronger guidelines are needed to protect patients. Many are confused how to interpret tests or how to do confirmatory testing. Many providers continue to have poor understanding of the serious health outcomes from herpes. Better and more professional education and training is needed.
Overall, the conference was eye opening and was a great opportunity to engage with many in the medical field. It showed us areas for improvement while also re-motivating us to continue our advocacy efforts. The excitement for HCA was tangible and it confirmed the need for more awareness. A big thank you to the CDC, ASTDA, NCSD, and ASHA for putting together a wonderful conference!
Contributed by: Karly Kern, Patient Advocate and HCA Board Member
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