Herpes support groups

This article is about the social health aspects of the disease. For information about the specific virus, see Herpes simplex virus.

Herpes support groups are organized groups, some grass roots and some official nonprofit or medical groups, that provide support and information for people who have been diagnosed with genital herpes. Genital herpes is a viral disease caused by herpes simplex viruses; both herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV–1) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV–2) can cause genital herpes.

History

Support for people with herpes arose from the work of the American Social Health Association (ASHA). The organization was created in 1914 to in response to the increase in social diseases that had spread during World War 1.

During the 1970s, there was an increase in sexually transmitted diseases. One of the diseases that increased dramatically was genital herpes. In response, ASHA created the National Herpes Resource Center in 1979. The HRC was designed to meet the growing need for education and awareness about the virus. One of the projects of The Herpes Resource Center (HRC) was to create a network of local support (HELP) groups. The goal of these HELP groups was to provide a safe, confidential environment where participants can get accurate information and share experiences, fears, and feelings with others who are concerned about herpes.

In the UK, the Herpes Association (now the Herpes Viruses Association) was started in 1982, becoming a registered charity with a Dept of Health grant in 1985. The charity started as a string of local group meetings before acquiring an office and a national spread.

The annual incidence in Canada of genital herpes due to HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection is not known (for a review of HSV-1/HSV-2 prevalence and incidence studies worldwide, see Smith and Robinson 2002). As many as one in seven Canadians aged 14 to 59 may be infected with herpes simplex type 2 virus and more than 90 per cent of them may be unaware of their status, a new study suggests. In the United States, it is estimated that about 1,640,000 HSV-2 seroconversions occur yearly (730,000 men and 910,000 women, or 8.4 per 1,000 persons).

In British Columbia in 1999, the seroprevalence of HSV-2 antibody in leftover serum submitted for antenatal testing revealed a prevalence of 17.3%, ranging from 7.1% in women 15-19 years old to 28.2% in those 40-44 years.

In Norway, a recent study found that 90% of genital initial infections were due to HSV-1.

In Nova Scotia, 58.1% of 1,790 HSV isolates from genital lesion cultures in women were HSV-1; in men, 36.7% of 468 isolates were HSV-1.

Stigma

In a 2007 study, 1900 people (25% of which had herpes) ranked genital herpes second for social stigma, out of all sexually transmitted diseases (HIV took the top spot for STD stigma).