Abstract
BackgroundHerpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is the leading cause of genital ulcer disease in developing countries, including Brazil, and is especially prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM). HSV-2 infection represents a risk factor for the acquisition and transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases. The goal of the present cross-sectional study was to estimate HSV-2 seroprevalence and to determine the factors associated with HSV-2 seropositivity in HIV-negative high-risk MSM from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.MethodsStored sera were tested to estimate HSV-2 seroprevalence, while socio-demographic and sexual behavior data were used to measure associations between risk factors and HSV-2 seropositivity. Using the Poisson regression model with robust variance, prevalence ratios (PR) were used to estimate de degree of association between risk factors and HSV-2 seropositivity in bivariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsSeroprevalence of HSV-2 was of 45.7% (184 out of 403). Factors independently associated with HSV-2 seroprevalence in the multivariate model were: older age (≥ 26 years, PR: 1.41 95% Confidence Interval: 1.11–1.78), non-white race (PR: 1.32 95%CI: 1.06–1.64), positive serology for syphilis (PR: 1.65 95%CI: 1.33–2.05), positive serology for hepatitis B (PR: 1.25 95%CI: 0.99–1.57), stable male partner in the past 6 months (PR: 1.42 95%CI: 1.12–1.79), and unprotected anal sex with a stable female partner (PR: 1.46 95%CI: 1.05–2.04) in the 6 months preceding the cross-sectional assessment.ConclusionThe present study made evident a high prevalence of HSV-2 infection in a sample of HIV-negative high-risk MSM from Rio de Janeiro. This finding indicates the need and urgency for implementing integrated programs for the prevention of HSV-2 and other sexually transmitted diseases, and, in particular, programs targeting high-risk MSM.
Highlights
Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is the leading cause of genital ulcer disease in developing countries, including Brazil, and is especially prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM)
Observational epidemiological studies have shown that HSV-2 facilitates the acquisition and transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a fact that indicates the relevance of the pathogenesis and epidemiology of HSV-2 [2,5,13,14,15,16]
Among men who have sex with men (MSM), reported seroprevalences of HSV-2 vary as a function of HIV status: high (80%) seroprevalences are observed among those co-infected with HIV [18,19] while lower (20%–50%) seroprevalences are reported for those not infected with HIV [20,21,22,23]
Summary
Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is the leading cause of genital ulcer disease in developing countries, including Brazil, and is especially prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM). HSV-2 infection represents a risk factor for the acquisition and transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is the leading cause of genital ulcer disease worldwide, and the main etiological agent of genital herpes [1,2,3]. HSV-2 causes anal-genital vesicles and ulcers that can be severe and recurrent, most infections are asymptomatic with intermittent genital excretion of the virus [4,5,6]. HSV-2 infection represents a risk factor for the acquisition and transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) [3,10,11,12]. Among men who have sex with men (MSM), reported seroprevalences of HSV-2 vary as a function of HIV status: high (80%) seroprevalences are observed among those co-infected with HIV [18,19] while lower (20%–50%) seroprevalences are reported for those not infected with HIV [20,21,22,23]
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