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PISCATAWAWAY, N.J., Jul 28, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Herpes was shown to affect more than a quarter of people taking part in a study of relatively affluent suburban areas of six U.S. cities.
However, only 4 percent reported a history of the condition.
The survey studied 36 primary care physician offices in relatively affluent suburban areas of six U.S. cities, where 25.5 percent tested positive for the virus that causes genital herpes.
The results of this study were presented today at the 15th Biennial Congress of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research.
"One of the reasons herpes continues to spread is because very few people with the virus know they have it," said Douglas Fleming, lead study author and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, NJ. "In order to help manage the spread of the disease, both doctors and patients need to be aware that everyone who is sexually active is at risk for getting herpes."
Copyright 2003 by United Press International.
