Genital herpes resources for clinicians and health professionals

In 2007, the AHMF conducted an online survey to determine how many people were at risk of having herpes. The results are about to be presented to a wide international audience.

The AHMF has released a six minute video demonstrating correct technique for taking diagnostic swabs for herpes.

Make a 30 second film about HSV for a chance to win $30,000 in the AHMF's Live & Love short film competition.

We invite film makers to create a 30 second work to destigmatise herpes (HSV). Encourage conversation, debunk myths, break the taboo... allow your viewers to be...

36 per cent of survey participants found to be at high risk of contracting the virus.

Vertical transmission of HSV from mother to child can result in neonatal herpes, a rare condition—but with very high mortality. This guidelines examines strategies for reducing the incidence of this condition.

There are a number of ways in which HSV and HIV interact, first to enhance transmission of both viruses, and second in a number of clinical manifestations.

Genital herpes is under-recognised and under-treated.More than three-quarters of people with genital herpes simplex virus infection do not receive appropriate therapy for their condition because the infection has not been recognised or properly diagnosed.

People diagnosed with genital herpes usually have many questions and concerns, a key one being anxiety about possible transmission of the infection to a partner. Similarly, an uninfected partner is often anxious about the possibility of acquiring genital herpes from the infected person.

Short (two-day) course treatment for recurrent genital herpes was approved in Australia in 2008. If patient-initiated at the onset of symptoms, this form of treatment can be as effective as the more established five-day course.

Most genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), although herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) accounts for half the new cases in developed countries. The major concern of HSV is its frequency of recurrences, its chronicity and its effects on patient personal relationships while...

HSV infections are often diagnosed clinically, but laboratory diagnosis is required for prescribing antiviral medications under Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Diagnosis can be confirmed with one of four methods in Australia: viral isolation, direct antigen detection, PCR and type-...

Winner of the 2007 AHMF Travel Scholarship goes to Dr Russell Diefenbach.Dr Diefenbach's prize winning paper discusses the Identification of the structural protein-protein interactions of Herpes simplex virus type-1.

The AHMF has implemented a survey to explore the opinions and attitdues of Australians who have genital herpes. The survey examines the different treatments people have tried and their perceived success rate.

Women are at greater risk of acquiring HSV, but men are more likely to have had sex with someone they knew had herpes.

HSV-2 infection is an important risk factor for HIV acquisition among men who have sex with men

AHMF Board members Prof Anthony Cunningham and Prof Adrian Mindel are contributing authors in the first representative, nationwide, population based survey of HSV-1 and 2 seroprevalence undertaken in Australia.

This study provides laboratory evidence for increasing proportions of anogenital herpes caused by HSV-1 in NSW, Australia between 1979 and 2003.

Circumcision of men, already known to decrease the incidence of HIV infection, has now been shown to prevent some cases of genital HSV-2 infection.

Increasing age is independently associated with increasing incidence (or risk of acquiring) HSV-2.

Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 were commonly sexually transmitted, and there were more HSV-1 than HSV-2 seroconversions.

Introductory remarks by Professor Suzanne Garland