GENITAL HERPES - TYPE-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES FOR DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT

Genital HSV-2 infections have increased in prevalence by more than 30% over the last two decades with 1 in 5 adults now positive for antibod ies to HSV-2. Fifteen percent of white men, 20% of white women, 35% of black men, and 55% of black women are HSV-2 seropositive. Prevalence of HSV-2 has in creased 5-fold among teenagers and has doubled among t hose in their twenties.(10) Since HSV-1 causes from 20% to 40% of firs t episodes of genital herpes, these figures underestimate the total bu rden of genital herpes in this country.