Americans Unaware of Herpes Epidemic
Americans Unaware of Herpes Epidemic
May 21, 2002 -- Even though most people know that genital herpes is an incurable sexually transmitted disease that lasts a lifetime, fewer than one in five people are tested for it, according to a new report. A survey of adults in four major American cities shows that many people are still unaware about several important issues surrounding genital herpes.
In the survey, conducted by RoperASW in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, and San Diego, 72% of respondents correctly answered that genital herpes is an incurable sexually transmitted disease (STD), but only 16% said they had ever been tested for it. And 42% admit they have never been tested for any STD.
Researchers say respondents seem to be unclear about the magnitude of the problem. Fewer than a third of those surveyed knew that more than 50 million people suffer from genital herpes, or one in five Americans over age 12. In fact, experts say 90% of people infected with the virus do not know they have it.
"We have an epidemic of genital herpes in U.S., and we're not talking about it," said Peter Leone, MD, associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, who discussed the survey's findings at an educational briefing today in New York City, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline.
Only about one-fourth of people surveyed said they took action to learn about their partner's sexual health before engaging in sexual activity.
Researchers say many people mistakenly believe that they must suffer from symptoms such as genital blisters in order to have the disease, but many of those infected with the virus do not have symptoms. And even without symptoms, the virus may be transmitted from person to person through sexual contact.
"The main risk factor for getting genital herpes is being sexually active," said Jennifer Berman, MD, co-director of the Female Sexual Medicine Center at UCLA Medical Center, who also spoke at the briefing.
These types of misperceptions about the disease can make it harder for individuals who have the condition to deal with their diagnosis.