Herpes simplex virus type 1 remains the principal cause of initial anogenital herpes in Edinburgh, Scotland

Goal: The goal of this study was to investigate the trends in the prevalence of anogenital herpes caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) type-1 and HSV-2 among patients attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of virologically proven first-episode genital herpes diagnosed in the Department of Genitourinary Medicine in Edinburgh between 1989 and 2002. Results: First-episode anogenital herpes was associated with HSV-1 in 659 (62%) women and 294 (42%) men (P < 0.0002). HSV-1 was recovered more often from women younger than 25 years than from older women (P < 0.0005). For both HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections, the median ages of heterosexual men (26.0 and 28.0 years, respectively) were significantly higher than those of women (23.0 and 25.0 years, respectively)(P < 0.05). The median age of men who have sex with men with HSV-1 (29.0 years) was significantly higher than that of heterosexual men (26.0 years)(P < 0.01). Conclusion: HSV-1 remains the most common cause of symptomatic first-episode anogenital herpes, especially among young women in our clinic population.