Herpes Simplex Type 2 Virus: a new horizon.

Abstract: Genital herpes or Herpes Simplex Type 2 Virus (HSC-2) is an incurable, venerable disease. Genital herpes infects more than 1 of 5 adolescents and adults according to the Center for Disease Control. Many people do not know that they have it and are not aware that they may be spreading it to others. Treatment and management of herpes simplex virus has been through pharmacotherapy and patient education. Recent studies have emerged identifying a vaccine for herpes simplex virus. The vaccine has thus far proven to be effective for women. Pending further investigation the target population is young adolescent girls. The implications of the vaccine for future treatment and management of other sexually transmitted infections need to be explored. Key Words: Herpes Simplex Type 2 Virus, nursing care Historically termed venereal diseases, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infectious diseases that are associated with intimate sexual contact. An increased incidence of STDs has been compounded by factors such as increased life span and a longer sexual life span, greater sexual freedom, changing roles for women, changes in the institution of marriage and family, decreased social control by religious institutions and an increased emphasis on sexuality on the part of the media. The incidence of genital herpes is on the rise. "Since the late 1970s, the number of Americans infected with the virus has increased 30 percent to about 45 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Bren, 2002). Two different strains of herpes simplex virus (HSV) cause infection. In type 1, (HSV-I) infection occurs in the gingivae, the dermis, the upper respiratory tract, and the central nervous system. Type 2 (HSV-2) infects the genital tract and the perineum. "Either strain can cause disease on the mouth or the genitals, HSV-1 can be transmitted from the mouth to genitals, and HSV-2 can be transmitted from genitals to mouth through oral-genital contact" (Lewis, 1996). Genital herpes can be physically painful and emotionally debilitating, even though it may not be deadly. More than a generation ago, the spirit of sexual promiscuity was curtailed by the incurable venereal disease, genital herpes. Many individuals were faced with remnants of a single, sexual encounter that could not be resolved with a pill; neither a contraceptive nor penicillin would be successful. Then, as literature and the media exposed the public to the prevalence of the deadly Human Immunosuppressive Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), genital herpes or herpes simplex type 2 virus seemed to have vanished from mainstream American vernacular. However, among adolescents and young adults, genital herpes has reemerged and has become very prevalent. With the many advances in the identification, management, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, the question of why HSV-2 has yet to become a curable disease persists. New research shows that a solution is within reach, but will a cure for the genital herpes epidemic off hope to all those infected? According to research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "... of the approximately 18.9 million new cases of STDs in 2000, nearly half of them were diagnosed among people" between the ages of 15 and 24 (Warner, 2004). Adolescents and young adults underestimate their risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection and the prevalence of HSV-2 infection among this age group has increased exponentially. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, since the late 1970s, the proportion of Americans over the age of 12 infected with the Herpes Simplex Type 2 Virus has increased by almost one-third (Bren, 2002). Although the media focuses on HIV/ AIDS as being a prevalent sexually transmitted infection, HSV-2 is also just as infectious and prevalent. Many of those infected with HSV-2 are not aware that they have the infection, and in turn, do not take the proper precautions to prevent infecting others. …