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NEW STUDY, COLD SORE VIRUS IS CAUSE OF NEW GENITAL HERPES
04 March 2002 - University of Wisconsin-Madison
| Herpes simplex virus type 1, the virus that causes cold sores, is the most common cause of new genital herpes infections in University of Wisconsin-Madison students, says a new study. |
Herpes simplex virus type 1, the virus that causes cold sores, is the most common cause of new genital herpes infections in University of Wisconsin-Madison students, says a new study. These findings were reported today at the National STD Prevention Conference in San Diego by UW-Madison University Health Services epidemiologist Craig Roberts and Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene epidemiologist John Pfister. "These findings are significant because they suggest that the majority of new genital herpes infections in UW-Madison students may be acquired from oral sex," Roberts says. "The typical situation is when a partner has oral herpes (cold sores)." HSV-1 is usually thought to cause less than 30 percent of genital herpes infections in the United States. The study shows evidence that the proportion of newly diagnosed genital herpes infections due to HSV-1 has increased steadily during the past nine years. In 2001, HSV-1 accounted for 78 percent of genital herpes infections diagnosed at University Health Services. The study notes that HSV-1 was more common in females than males, and more common in ages 16-21 than older ages. But increases were noted in all subgroups. Roberts speculates that changing sexual practices may contribute to this change, particularly oral-genital sexual contact. The increasing use of condoms for vaginal intercourse may also be a factor. Roberts says he believes that counseling messages for patients should emphasize the risk of oral sex as a mode of transmission for genital herpes. "Many students are not aware of this risk and the connection between cold sores and genital herpes," Roberts says.
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About: University of Wisconsin-Madison
In achievement and prestige, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has long been recognized as one of America’s great universities. A public, land-grant institution, UW-Madison offers a complete spectrum of liberal arts studies, professional programs and student activities. Many of its programs are hailed as world leaders in instruction, research and public service.The university traces its roots to a clause in the Wisconsin Constitution, which decreed that the state should have a prominent public university. In 1848, Nelson Dewey, Wisconsin’s first governor, signed the act that formally created the university, and its first class, with 17 students, met in a Madison school building on February 5, 1849. From those humble beginnings, the university has grown into a large, diverse community, with about 40,000 students enrolled each year. These students represent every state in the nation, as well as countries from around the globe, making for a truly international population. UW-Madison is the oldest and largest campus in the University of Wisconsin System, a statewide network of 13 comprehensive universities, 13 freshman-sophomore transfer colleges and an extension service. One of two doctorate-granting universities in the system, UW-Madison’s specific mission is to provide "a learning environment in which faculty, staff and students can discover, examine critically, preserve and transmit the knowledge, wisdom and values that will help insure the survival of this and future generations and improve the quality of life for all." The university achieves these ends through innovative programs of research, teaching and public service. Throughout its history, UW-Madison has sought to bring the power of learning into the daily lives of its students through innovations such as residential learning communities and service-learning opportunities. Students also participate freely in research, which has led to life-improving inventions from more fuel-efficient engines to cutting-edge genetic therapies. Students, faculty and staff are motivated by a tradition known as the "Wisconsin Idea," described by UW President Charles Van Hise in 1904 as the compelling need to carry "the beneficent influence of the university ... to every home in the state." The Wisconsin Idea permeates the university’s work and helps forge close working relationships among university faculty and students and the state’s industries and government. |
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