A retrospective study into the prevalence of herpes simplex virus 1&2 in female patients tested for Chlamydia trachomatis and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae using vaginal swabs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1&2 in women screened for Chlamydia trachomatis and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae (CT/GC) infections. A total of 800 vaginal swabs were tested in a dual centre investigation, to evaluate the prevalence of HSV-1&2 in this population. The average age of the population was 29.8 ± 9.2 years, ranging between 14 and 66 years with a median of 28 years. The highest prevalence of HSV-1 or HSV-2 was observed in the youngest age groups: teenagers and adults in their twenties had 5.26% and 4.31% prevalence, respectively.