Ethics of screening for asymptomatic herpes virus type 2 infection

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Abstract
Introduction Infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is a common sexually transmitted disease. It is mostly asymptomatic, and currently no cure exists.1 The prevalence by age differs between populations and geographical areas.2 Serology tests are commercially available with acceptable sensitivity and specificity and are a valuable aid to diagnosis. However, many questions remain over their use for screening. We use an ethical model to consider the potential biotechnical, medical, epidemiological, and psychosocial advantages and disadvantages of screening at the individual and public health levels. Footnotes References w1-w17 and definitions of ethical principles are on bmj.com We thank the seminar group in medical ethics, Lund, for helpful comments. Contributors and sources IK is a specialist in infectious diseases and professor in epidemiology and public health with an interest in the ethics of public health. G-BL, IK, and BMA are part of a herpes research network in western Sweden. TN is professor in medical ethics. IK and TN had the idea for this paper, and IK wrote the first draft. All authors contributed to the final version from their special fields of competence. The article is based on sources from the Pub Med and medical ethics research literature. They are all guarantors. Competing interests None declared.