title: Prevention of and screening for herpes simplex infection: a survey of Quebec physicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine which methods are most used by Quebec physicians performing deliveries with regard to the prevention of and screening for infections caused by the herpes simplex virus.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pretested bilingual questionnaire was mailed to all the general practitioners performing deliveries who belong to the Association des omnipraticiens en périnatalité du Québec, as well as to all obstetrician-gynaecologists belonging to the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Quebec, with two follow-up reminder communications. The participants' anonymity was maintained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 877 questionnaires sent, 539 (62%) were completed and returned; 451 participants (84% of the total) met the selection criteria. The majority (92%) of physicians performing deliveries asked pregnant women if they had a history of genital herpes. To prevent primary genital herpes, 73% of physicians recommended using condoms, 42.5% recommended abstinence when lesions are present, 33% recommended that the partner be given an antiviral treatment, and 3.3 % did not provide any specific advice. For a woman who presents with a confirmed history of genital herpes, vaginal delivery was preferred in (1) 87.5% of cases when the infection did not recur during pregnancy, (2) 94% of cases when the infection recurred before the third trimester, (3) 98% of cases when the infection recurred during the third trimester and an antiviral treatment was provided. In the case of a pregnant woman at term with herpetic lesions and with ruptured membranes, Caesarean section was preferred by 79% of obstetricians and 95% of general practitioners (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The screening and prevention methods preferred by most Quebec physicians performing deliveries match the recommendations of the current clinical practice guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Département de chimie-biologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières (Québec).
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paquet
authors.affiliation: Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec,Caroline Paquet; B sciences de la santé.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steben
mesh_terms: D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011792:Quebec; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires