Herpes simplex virus type 1 infection: a sexually transmitted infection of adolescence?

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Abstract
Objectives: To examine the factors associated with antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Design: Cross sectional study with HSV-1 antibody testing performed by University of Washington western blot assay. Setting: Central London STD clinic (1990–1) and central London blood donation centre (1992). Participants: Representative sample of 869 new and rebooked GUM clinic attenders and 1494 consecutive blood donors. Results: The prevalence of HSV-1 antibody among clinic attenders was 60.4% (95% CI 57.0 to 63.7) and among donors was 46.1% (95% CI 43.5 to 48.7). HSV-1 antibody was independently associated with increasing age in both populations (pConclusions: Genital herpes due to HSV-1 antibody is increasing in the United Kingdom, particularly among young people. In this study we found that HSV-1 was strongly associated with early age of first sexual intercourse, which may reflect the sexual practices of people initiating sex in this age group.