Herpes simplex virus type 2 associated with HIV infection among New York heterosexuals living in high-risk areas

H. Hagan, S. M. Jenness, T. Wendel, C. R. Murrill, A. Neaigus, C. Gelpi-Acosta

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) has been shown to increase the risk of sexual human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. A matched case-control design was used to examine the association between HSV-2 and HIV infection among heterosexuals in 'high-risk areas' (HRAs) in New York City (NYC). We identified NYC HRAs using HIV surveillance data on heterosexual-related adult HIV diagnoses and USA census data on household poverty. Heterosexuals who were socially or geographically linked to an HRA were recruited using respondent-driven sampling. HIV prevalence was 8.6% and HSV-2 prevalence was 80.1%. Only 6% of HIV-positives knew they were infected. HIV-positive cases were matched to HIV-negative controls on gender, race/ethnicity and age, and tested for antibody to HSV-2. In a multivariate model, HIV infection was associated with HSV-2 infection (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.5, 95% confidence interval 1.1-11.7) and non-HSV-related sexually transmitted infection diagnosis in the previous year (AOR = 2.6, 1.1-6.2). Effective approaches to HIV risk reduction for individuals with HSV-2 remain uncertain, and these are urgently needed in high-risk communities where multiple social, behavioural and biological factors that facilitate HIV infection coexist.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)580-583
Number of pages4
JournalInternational Journal of STD and AIDS
Volume21
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2010

Keywords

  • Epidemiology
  • HIV
  • HSV-2
  • Heterosexual
  • Prevention

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Dermatology
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology (medical)

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