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. 2022 Nov 7:10:991040.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.991040. eCollection 2022.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 seroprevalence and associated factors in fertility-treatment-seeking population: A cross-sectional survey in the United Arab Emirates

Noor Motea Abdo  1 , Irfan Aslam  2 , Shazia Irfan  2 , Junu A George  3 , Ahmed R Alsuwaidi  3 , Luai A Ahmed  1   4 , Rami H Al-Rifai  1   4
Affiliations

Herpes simplex virus type 2 seroprevalence and associated factors in fertility-treatment-seeking population: A cross-sectional survey in the United Arab Emirates

Noor Motea Abdo et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is a common genitally-transmitted viral infection affecting more than 400 million individuals globally. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in specific at-risk population groups, the burden of HSV-2 has not been reported. This study investigated the prevalence of HSV-2 IgG antibodies in patients seeking fertility treatment and characterized patients with seropositivity to HSV-2 IgG antibodies.

Methodology: A cross-sectional sample of patients seeking fertility treatment in a major fertility clinic in Abu Dhabi, UAE was surveyed from April to May 2021. Patients were consecutively invited to complete self-administered questionnaires and provide blood for HSV-2 testing. Information on sociodemographics, medical history, and infertility was collected. Serum specimens were screened using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for HSV-2 IgG antibodies detection.

Results: Two hundred and ninety-nine patients were surveyed and provided blood samples. The mean age of the patients was 35.9 ± 6.8 [mean ± standard deviation (SD)] years with 89.3% being women. Sixty-six percent were overweight or obese, 25.0% had at least one chronic comorbidity, and 19.6% reported ever-had genital infection. More than two-thirds (68.3%) of the patients were infertile for ≥ 6 months. Of the 42 infertile males, 69.0% had an abnormal semen analysis. HSV-2 IgG antibodies was detected in 12.4% of patients. The HSV-2 IgG seropositive patients had a higher mean age (39.5 vs. 35.4 years; p < 0.001) compared to seronegative patients. HSV-2 IgG antibodies seropositivity was more common in males (15.6%) than females (12.0%), in patients with secondary (14.1%) vs. primary (9.2%) infertility, or in males with abnormal (10.3%) vs. normal (7.7%) semen.

Conclusion: Exposure to HSV-2 at any time in patients seeking fertility treatment in the UAE was found to be slightly common in more than one out of 10 patients. Tailored health campaigns on HSV-2 prevention are warranted.

Keywords: fertility; genital infections; herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2); infertility; pregnancy; reproductive health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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