title: Low acceptance of HSV-2 testing among high-risk women.
abstract: We evaluated the acceptability of a community-based herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) screening programme for at-risk women and assessed factors related to uptake of point of care HSV-2 testing. One hundred recently arrested women (median age 34 years) were recruited from a community court handling lower-level misdemeanour cases in Indianapolis, Indiana. Individuals completed a survey assessing factors related to HSV-2 screening intentions and were offered point of care HSV-2 testing. Rates of HSV-2 infection in this population are high; 61.1% of women tested were positive. The majority (81%) accepted a prescription for suppressive therapy. Women in this sample indicated that HSV-2 screening is an important component of health care but were unwilling to pay the US$10 it cost to be tested. To encourage this and other high-risk populations to be screened for HSV-2, public health resources will be needed to help individuals overcome cost-related barriers to care.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. almroth@iupui.edu
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Dodge
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van Der Pol
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Zimet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012309:Risk-Taking