[Genital herpes infections]

Abstract

Genital infections caused by herpes simplex viruses (HSV), are the most frequently seen sexually transmitted diseases (STD), in both developed and developing countries like our country. These infections take part of the third important place among STD after from the chlamydial cervicitis and genital wards, and are of the major public health problem, recently. Genital herpes infections produced mainly (90%) by HSV type 2, and rarely (10%) by HSV type 1. The infections may have seen in two clinical forms, called primary and recurrent infections. The data have indicated that, the incidence of genital herpes increased approximately 20 folds in the world during the last two decades. The main factor attributed to the spread of HSV infections includes asymptomatic virus shedding. Genital herpes is associated with significant morbidity and complications such as neonatal herpes, results from the transmission of HSV from mother to fetus. In this review article, the clinical characteristics, epidemiology, diagnostic methods, prevention and therapy choices of HSV genital infections, have been discussed under the light of recent literature.