Clinical Overview of Genital Herpes

More people in the US are infected with HSV-2 than all other STDs combined1-3

  • The CDC estimates that 1 million new patients become infected with genital herpes each year3
  • HSV-2+ adults have up to 3 times greater risk of acquiring HIV from an infected partner4
  • Almost 90% of those who tested positive for HSV-2 were unaware they were infected1

Learn more about genital herpes and its impact on patients.


Genital Herpes Summary
Scan this overview of genital herpes.
Transmission Between Outbreaks
Only once-daily VALTREX is proven to reduce risk of transmission of genital herpes.*5,6
Asymptomatic Viral Shedding
Clinical data found that HSV-2+ patients can be contagious when they do not have signs or symptoms.7
Psychosocial Impact
The diagnosis of genital herpes can have a profound emotional effect on patients.8

Note: When you click on the link(s) above, you will leave the Healthcare Professional Web site for VALTREX. Links to external sites are provided as a convenience to our visitors. GlaxoSmithKline does not warrant the accuracy of nor necessarily endorse any information contained in these external Web sites.

*In immunocompetent heterosexual adults. Safer sex practices should be used with daily therapy with VALTREX.

  1. Xu F, Sternberg MR, Kottiri BJ, et al. Trends in herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 seroprevalence in the United States: JAMA. 2006;296:964-973.
    2.
  2. U.S. Census Bureau Web site. Available at: http://www.census.gov. Accessed November 21, 2007.
    3.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/std/healthcomm/fact_sheets.htm.
    Accessed November 21, 2007.
    4.
  4. Freeman EE, Weiss HA, Glynn JR, et al. Herpes simplex virus 2 infection increases HIV acquisition in men and women: systemic review and
    meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. AIDS. 2006;20:73-83.
    5.
  5. Corey L, Wald A, Patel R, et al. Once-daily valacyclovir to reduce the risk of transmission of genital herpes. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:11-20.
    6.
  6. Data on file, GlaxoSmithKline.
    7.
  7. Mertz GJ, Benedetti J, Ashley R, Selke SA, Corey L. Risk factors for the sexual transmission of genital herpes. Ann Intern Med. 1992;116:197-202.
    8.
  8. Carney O, Ross E, Bunker C, Ikkos G, Mindel A. A prospective study of the psychological impact on patients with a first episode of genital herpes.
    Genitourin Med. 1994;70:40-45.
    9.