Invited Commentary

Commentary on "HSV-1 and HSV-2 Seroprevalence in the United States among Asymptomatic Women Unaware of Any Herpes Simplex Virus Infection (Herpevac Trial for Women)"

Authors: Mary Jane Burton, MD

Abstract

In this issue of the Southern Medical Journal, Schulte and colleagues, the investigators of the Herpevac Trial for Women, present the entrance screening data for trial participation.1 Healthy women between the ages of 18 and 30 with no prior knowledge of oral or genital herpes infection were recruited and screened for participation between 2002 and 2007. Inclusion into the trial required a negative Western blot for the presence of antibodies to herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), the gold standard for diagnosing these infections.2 Of the 29,022 asymptomatic women screened, more than half were found to be infected with HSV-1 and/or HSV-2 and were excluded from the study.

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References

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