In Honor of National Men’s Health Week, New Free Brochure is Available to Raise Awareness of Genital Herpes in Men
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Jun 10, 2002--A recent four-city survey shows only one-fourth of men (26%) who say they get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are getting tested for genital herpes, despite widespread knowledge among the survey participants that genital herpes is a highly contagious and lifelong STD. Genital herpes is a widespread but underdiagnosed and undertreated STD which affects approximately one in six American men.
''The results of this survey are frightening, but unfortunately not surprising,'' said Dr. Gary Richwald, M.D., M.P.H., former director and chief physician of the Los Angeles County STD program and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) professor. ''The bottom line is anyone who is sexually active is at risk for contracting genital herpes, which is why people need to talk to their healthcare providers about getting tested.
The survey, which included a sample of people in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and San Diego, also finds most men fail to understand genital herpes is an STD of epidemic proportions. Forty-one percent of the men surveyed believe there are 6,000,000 Americans with genital herpes, when in fact, experts estimate genital herpes affects up to 60 million people, or one in five Americans over the age of 12. (In 1991, an estimated 45 million Americans were infected with the virus that causes genital herpes.)
In response to the lack of awareness and diagnosis, a new free brochure is being distributed in conjunction with National Men’s Health Week. The Guy`s Guide to Genital Herpes is designed to educate men about their sexual health, specifically genital herpes, and encourage them to visit a healthcare professional for diagnosis.
''Genital herpes is a common but a frequently misunderstood sexually transmitted disease,'' said Dr. Richwald. ''The Guide provides valuable information about genital herpes specifically for men, who tend to play a less active role in their healthcare than women.''
For a free copy of the Guy’s Guide to Genital Herpes, visit www.herpeshelp.com or call toll-free 1-866-HERPES2 (866-437-7372).
ABOUT GENITAL HERPES
It is estimated that nine out of 10 people who have genital herpes are not aware of their condition. In addition, approximately 500,000 new cases of genital herpes are diagnosed each year. While genital herpes is not a life-threatening disease, the virus never leaves the body, making it a lifelong condition that can recur at various times with or without symptoms. Symptoms of genital herpes may include a cluster of blisters, bumps or rashes in the genital area, or on the thighs or buttocks. The virus passes from person to person through sexual contact. Symptoms need not be present to infect another individual. To help prevent spreading the disease to others, sexual contact should be avoided during outbreaks and latex condoms should be used between outbreaks.
ABOUT THE SURVEY
For this survey 800 interviews (406 males and 394 females) were conducted among non-married adults ages 18-54 in four cities: New York, N.Y., Chicago, Ill., Atlanta, Ga., and San Diego, Calif. The interviews were conducted from March 28 to April 7, 2002, utilizing Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI). All interviewing was conducted at RoperASW centrally located telephone facilities.
VALTREX is indicated for the initial and recurrent treatment and for suppression of genital herpes outbreaks. The most common side effects with VALTREX are headache,nausea and abdominal pain. VALTREX is intended for adults with normal immune systems. To avoid a potentially serious complication, patients should tell their doctor if their immune system is not normal because of advanced HIV disease, bone marrow or kidney transplant. There is no cure for genital herpes and even with treatment it may be possible to spread it to others.
The brochure and survey were sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, maker of VALTREX� (valacyclovir HCl) caplets, one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and health care companies. GlaxoSmithKline is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
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