New Herpes Infections Linked to Sexual
Attitudes
The Philadelphia Inquirer
By Susan FitzGerald
MARCH 28, 2005
The herpes simplex virus (HSV) that commonly causes cold sores around the mouth, HSV type 1, is now causing many more cases of genital herpes - a change that could reflect the growing acceptance of oral sex, health experts believe. "HSV-1 has assumed a more prominent role in causing first episodes of genital herpes," said Anna Wald, the University of Washington Virology Research Clinic's medical director. "The reason for that is not exactly understood. There may be some shift in sexual behavior, with more oral-genital contact, especially among teenagers because they may not perceive it as sex," Wald said.
HSV-1 can be transmitted via saliva to another person during oral sex, causing painful sores in the genital area. Similarly, HSV type 2, which typically causes genital herpes, can cause sores in the mouth. CDC estimates that at least 45 million people in the United States are infected with either type of genital herpes.
Jonathan Zenilman, an infectious-disease specialist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, agrees that changing views about oral sex may be a factor behind the increase. "There is a perception, especially among teenagers, that oral sex doesn't count," Zenilman said. "There is also a perception that people don't get disease from oral sex." Zenilman and other experts also suspect that youths are less likely to be casually exposed to the HSV-1 during childhood, and are thus more vulnerable to infection when they become sexually active with HSV-1-infected partners.
In a recent study, University of Pittsburgh researcher Thomas Cherpes and colleagues tracked 1,200 women ages 18-30 who were periodically tested for HSV-1 and HSV-2. More than 90 percent of the women reported a history of receiving oral sex. The study found that women who engaged in oral sex, without vaginal intercourse, were far more likely to become infected with HSV-1 than women who had vaginal sex or were sexually inactive.
That study, "Cunnilingus and Vaginal Intercourse Are Risk Factors for Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Acquisition in Women," was published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases (2005;32(2):84-89).