Sexually Transmitted Diseases  >  Publications  >  Report of the Genital Herpes Prevention Consultants Meeting May 5-6, 1998

Report of the Genital Herpes Prevention Consultants Meeting May 5-6, 1998

Previous

Table of Contents

Next

6. Public and Provider Awareness and Knowledge

Although the state of public and provider knowledge about genital herpes was not identified as a specific topic for discussion prior to the meeting, it emerged as a dominant theme in all three work groups. There was broad consensus that knowledge levels about incidence, prevalence, subclinical shedding, transmission risks, neonatal herpes and other complications, and the availability and efficacy of antiviral therapy are low among health care providers, public health agencies, persons at risk for STDs, the general public, and even persons with herpes themselves; and that many infected persons, their sex partners, and others at risk therefore receive suboptimal (often frankly inadequate) health care and prevention advice. Nevertheless, the actual knowledge levels, specific practice patterns, and health department policies and procedures relative to genital herpes are poorly understood. There was further consensus that improved provider and public awareness would bring benefits not only in regard to genital herpes per se, but for other STDs. For example, awareness and acknowledgment that at least 22% of the general population (higher in many settings) acquires genital HSV infection might serve to destigmatize and enhance prevention of all STDs.

Thus, improved understanding of provider awareness and practices was viewed as a critical first step in enhancing prevention and the quality of clinical services for persons with genital herpes. There was consensus that CDC has a duty to raise awareness among the American public about the prevalence and significance of genital herpes, although modifying risk behavior would not necessarily be a specific goal of such broadly based education efforts. New communications strategies and technologies (e.g., internet, interactive video-conferencing) should be evaluated as potentially effective tools to convey herpes-related messages. The continuing role of traditional telephone hot-lines and the use of television also should be assessed.

A. Public awareness

Without awaiting definitive results from the foregoing research, CDC should now undertake or support campaigns to enhance public and provider awareness of the frequency, clinical manifestations, and transmission of genital herpes (consensus high, priority high).

CDC should promptly conduct or support demonstration projects to assess varied strategies and messages to inform the public in order to raise awareness and enhance knowledge about clinical manifestations, and prevention strategies; novel methodologies to get the messages out (internet, television, others) should be assessed (consensus high, priority high).

CDC should conduct or support opinion polls to assess the willingness of the public, especially those at risk for genital herpes, to learn whether or not they are infected through serological screening (consensus high, priority high).

Because NHANES-IV subjects will be given the opportunity to learn their test results, the proportion of those who seek their HSV serology results should be monitored, and studies should be conducted to determine the impact of positive test results in NHANES subjects without known genital herpes (consensus high, priority high).

B. Provider awareness and knowledge

CDC should immediately take action to get basic information to clinicians; an important role for the STD/HIV P/T Centers was envisioned (consensus high, priority high).

Surveys should be undertaken or supported by CDC to determine health care providers’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices concerning genital herpes prevalence, clinical manifestations, treatment, and prevention; parallel surveys should determine what is currently taught concerning genital herpes in medical and other health professions schools (consensus high, priority high).

Previous

Table of Contents

Next