title: Psychosocial well-being and quality of life among women newly diagnosed with genital herpes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the psychosocial well-being and quality of life among women with a new genital herpes simplex virus diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected by a cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three women diagnosed with genital herpes simplex virus by culture, visual exam and/or a description of symptoms within the last 3 months were recruited from primary health care clinics by their provider.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Recurrent Genital Herpes Quality of Life scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-four percent of the women qualified as "clinical cases" for depression, and 64% were designated as "anxiety cases" based on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scoring methods. A majority of participants reported feeling ashamed about having herpes and worried about having an outbreak or giving herpes to someone else.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite substantial progress toward understanding genital herpes simplex virus epidemiology and transmission, a diagnosis of genital herpes continues to cause considerable psychosocial morbidity and to impact quality of life. There is a dearth of good evidence on how best to intervene to minimize the psychological impact of a diagnosis. Experts recommend addressing both the medical and psychological aspects of infection by providing antiviral therapy, written material, and resources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community-Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing, 525 North Wolfe Street, Room 449 Baltimore, MD 21205-2110, USA. hmark1@son.jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nanda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult