Herpes risk survey
Women are at greater risk of acquiring HSV, but men are more likely to have had sex with someone they knew had herpes.
In 2007, the Australian Herpes Management Forum conducted a quiz to evaluate the likelihood of exposure to the herpes virus through sexual contact.The survey was completed by more than 2,400 people. Fifty-two per cent of those who took part in the survey were male and 48 per cent female. Eighteen per cent were classified as low risk for genital herpes, 46 per cent as medium risk and 36 per cent as high risk.
The results reaffirm that women are at greater risk of acquiring the virus than men. However, the survey results indicate that men are more likely than women to have had sex with a patner known to have herpes.
The web-based genital herpes risk assessment survey was developed on epidemiological data derived from a national Australian population-based survey and other epidemiological studies and consisted of 16 questions, each with a numerical weighting. The weighting was based on a number of factors including age, gender, sexual history, condom use and symptoms suggestive of herpes. Scores were added up and individuals allocated risk score of low, medium or high.
