As much as 16 percent of the U.S. population between the ages of 14 and 49 has genital herpes, according to a government study released Tuesday.
And sexually transmitted diseases of all varieties infect 19 million more Americans every year -- a rate that costs the health care system some $16 billion annually, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found. The study was released by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention as part of the the National STD prevention Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
The herpes simplex 2 virus -- one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States -- causes painful, recurring genital sores.
This study serves as a stark reminder that herpes remains a common and serious health threat in the United States. Everyone should be aware of the symptoms, risk factors and steps that can be taken to prevent the spread of this lifelong and incurable infection, said Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDCs National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB prevention.
Women and African-Americans have the highest rate of genital herpes infections. According to the study, one in five women is infected with the herpes virus. The infection rate was almost twice as high among women -- nearly 21 percent -- than among men, at 11.5 percent.
For African-Americans, the prevalence of infection was 39.2 percent -- more than three times that of whites, at 12.3 percent. Black women are most affected by the disease, with an infection rate of 48 percent.
Fenton said the high rates of herpes among African-Americans is most likely contributing to the high rate of HIV in that community. In fact, statistics show that people with herpes are two to three times more likely to get HIV if exposed.
The CDC estimates that more than 80 percent of the people who have the herpes simplex 2 virus dont know they are infected. Many people never have symptoms or outbreaks, or those symptoms are mild and mistaken for something else. But transmission can occur without symptoms or visible sores.
Many individuals are transmitting herpes to others without even knowing it, said Dr. John M. Douglas Jr., director of the CDCs Division of STD prevention. We cant afford to be complacent about this disease. It is important that persons with symptoms suggestive of herpes -- especially recurrent sores in the genital area -- seek clinical care to determine if these symptoms may be due to herpes and might benefit from treatment.
These new numbers are from data between 2005 and 2008 and are consistent with the last study, which covered 1999-2004. The CDC says that there was a slight decline in infection rates but that it was not statistically significant.
prevention strategies can help reduce national rates, the CDC said, and there are a number of effective drugs that can help treat and prevent outbreaks.
Douglas said people who know their herpes status should avoid sex when they have symptoms or sores, limit their number of sexual partners, and use condoms consistently and correctly.
However, CDC experts say there are a number of barriers to treatment, including poverty and lack of access to care. They say young women often dont get tested for STDs because of misinformation and stigma.
According to four studies also released at the National STD prevention Conference on Tuesday, African-Americans are shouldering a heavy STD burden.
While African-Americans make up 12 percent of the U.S. population, that population accounts for nearly half of all reported syphilis and chlamydia cases, more than 70 percent of all reported gonorrhea cases and about half of all new HIV infections.
And, according to CDC experts, while African-American women and men are often unwilling to get tested, doctors are often reluctant to discuss sexual health with their patients -- particularly with black male patients.
多达16%的美国人口年龄在14岁至49岁的生殖器疱疹,据周二公布的一项政府研究。
感染和性传播疾病的所有品种每年有1900万多的美国人速度,成本的医疗系统每年约160亿美元,全国健康和营养调查(NHANES)发现。公布的这项研究是疾病控制和预防中心作为全国性病预防的一部分会议在亚特兰大,格鲁吉亚。
单纯疱疹病毒2最常见的性传播疾病之一,在美国,导致痛苦,反复出现生殖器溃疡。
这项研究作为一个提醒疱疹,仍然是一个在美国常见和严重的健康威胁。每个人都应该意识到的症状,危险因素,可以采取措施防止这一生和无法治愈的感染的传播,Kevin Fenton博士说,疾控中心的国家中心主任艾滋病毒/艾滋病、病毒性肝炎、性病和结核病预防。
妇女和非洲裔美国人生殖器疱疹感染的几率最高。研究表明,五分之一的女性感染了疱疹病毒。感染率几乎是女性的两倍近21%比男性为11.5%。
非裔美国人、感染的患病率为39.2%,白人的三倍以上,达到12.3%。黑人女性是受影响最严重的病,感染率48%。
芬顿说,高水平的疱疹在非洲裔美国人最有可能导致的艾滋病毒感染率高的社区。事实上,统计数据显示,疱疹的人更容易感染艾滋病病毒的两到三倍,如果曝光。
美国疾病控制和预防中心估计,80%以上的人单纯疱疹病毒2不知道他们被感染。很多人从来没有症状或疫情,或这些症状是轻微的,误认为是其他东西。但没有症状或可能会传播可见溃疡。
许多人疱疹传染给别人没有意识到的情况下,小约翰m道格拉斯博士说,疾控中心性病预防部门的主任。我们不能沾沾自喜。是很重要的人症状暗示生殖器疱疹,特别是复发性溃疡的面积寻求临床护理来确定这些症状可能是由于疱疹和可能从治疗中获益。
这些新的数字是在2005年和2008年之间的数据,与过去的研究一致,覆盖1999 - 2004。美国疾病控制和预防中心说,在感染率有略有下降,但不显著。
预防战略可以帮助减少国家利率,美国疾病控制和预防中心说,有许多有效的药物可以帮助治疗和预防暴发。
道格拉斯说的人知道他们的疱疹地位应该避免性症状或溃疡时,限制他们的性伴侣的数量,并正确地使用避孕套和。
然而,疾病预防控制中心专家说治疗有许多障碍,包括贫困和缺乏关心。他们说年轻女性经常得不到检测性病,因为错误信息和耻辱。
根据国家发布的四个研究还性病预防会议周二,非洲裔美国人肩负着沉重的疾病负担。
非裔美国人占美国人口的12%,人口占了近一半的报告梅毒和衣原体情况下,超过70%的所有报告淋病病例和所有新增艾滋病毒感染者的一半左右。
疾控中心专家表示,尽管非裔美国女性和男性往往不愿意测试,医生往往不愿讨论性健康与他们的病人,尤其是黑人男性患者。