Health
Symptomless Herpes Can Spread
Many of the millions of Americans with genital herpes show no symptoms and have few, if any, outbreaks, but can spread the sexually transmitted disease nonetheless, research has found. Researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle say they studied 53 adults who had the herpes virus but reported no history of outbreaks.
The study, in the March 23, 2000 New England Journal of Medicine, included daily testing of each patient for 94 days. Research found the herpes virus in 38 of the 53 patients, or 72 percent. That's about the same rate as found in a control group of 90 patients who had symptoms and more frequent outbreaks.
The study also finds of the 53 patients without initial symptoms, 33 (62 percent) subsequently had a typical herpes outbreak. But the duration was shorter -- three days versus five days for the control group. Researchers say the asymptomatic patients also had fewer outbreaks, three a year compared with eight a year in the control group.
Until recently, patients and most doctors thought people with herpes could safely have unprotected sex when they had no symptoms, which can include painful, oozing blisters, ulcers and fissures and tingling and burning.
The study, in the March 23, 2000 New England Journal of Medicine, included daily testing of each patient for 94 days. Research found the herpes virus in 38 of the 53 patients, or 72 percent. That's about the same rate as found in a control group of 90 patients who had symptoms and more frequent outbreaks.
The study also finds of the 53 patients without initial symptoms, 33 (62 percent) subsequently had a typical herpes outbreak. But the duration was shorter -- three days versus five days for the control group. Researchers say the asymptomatic patients also had fewer outbreaks, three a year compared with eight a year in the control group.
Until recently, patients and most doctors thought people with herpes could safely have unprotected sex when they had no symptoms, which can include painful, oozing blisters, ulcers and fissures and tingling and burning.
