Herpes virus type 2 infection and genital symptoms in primary care patients.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to identify whether genital symptoms were associated with unrecognized herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection in a primary care population.


METHODS
Five thousand four hundred fifty-two individuals aged 18 to 59 seeking general care at 36 suburban medical offices in 6 U.S. cities were tested for HSV-2 antibody and asked about 10 types of genital symptoms. In patients with no known history of genital herpes, we assessed whether HSV-2 infection was independently associated with symptoms.


RESULTS
HSV-2 infection was associated with increases in reports of "sores, blisters, ulcers, crusts, or small cuts/slits" in men [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.79; 95% CI, 1.24-2.58] and with increases in reports of "redness, irritation, or a rash" among women (adjusted OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.06-2.11). HSV-2 was not significantly associated with other types of genital symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary-care physicians should consider unrecognized HSV-2 infection as a potential cause of some common genital symptoms.
Fleming
Douglas T
DT
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
Leone
Peter
P
Esposito
Dominick
D
Heitman
Cathy K
CK
Justus
Scott
S
Chin
Stephanie
S
Fife
Kenneth H
KH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018881:Suburban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000914:Antibodies, Viral