Herpes simplex virus type 1 remains the principal cause of initial anogenital herpes in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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.
Manavi
K
K
Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Lothian University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, U K. tirbad@yahoo.com
McMillan
A
A
Ogilvie
M
M
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