title: Herpes simplex virus type 1 remains the principal cause of initial anogenital herpes in Edinburgh, Scotland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to investigate the trends in the prevalence of anogenital herpes caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) type-1 and HSV-2 among patients attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective study of virologically proven first-episode genital herpes diagnosed in the Department of Genitourinary Medicine in Edinburgh between 1989 and 2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First-episode anogenital herpes was associated with HSV-1 in 659 (62%) women and 294 (42%) men (P <0.0002). HSV-1 was recovered more often from women younger than 25 years than from older women (P <0.0005). For both HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections, the median ages of heterosexual men (26.0 and 28.0 years, respectively) were significantly higher than those of women (23.0 and 25.0 years, respectively)(P <0.05). The median age of men who have sex with men with HSV-1 (29.0 years) was significantly higher than that of heterosexual men (26.0 years)(P <0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HSV-1 remains the most common cause of symptomatic first-episode anogenital herpes, especially among young women in our clinic population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Lothian University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, U K. tirbad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manavi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogilvie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology