Study highlights prevalence of undiagnosed herpes cases

A recent study of sexual health clinic patients conducted by researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden found that many people who suffer from herpes may be unaware of their infections. Moreover, many undiagnosed individuals have untreated symptoms of the sexually transmitted disease (STD).

The results showed that among a group of more than 1,000 participants, one in every five women had herpes, along with one out of ten men.

Within the infected population, the researchers found that 40 percent of these individuals were unaware that they had contracted the STD. Moreover, one-third of these unwitting patients reported that they experienced genital blisters or sores, but did not seek a diagnosis or treatment.

"The study reinforces our perception that genital herpes is common and that most people carrying it are unaware that they have it. Non-specific recurring genital symptoms could be undiagnosed herpes, which can be detected with a simple test," lead researcher Matilda Berntsson said.

She further explained that blood tests can detect the presence of antibodies, which signal that a person has the herpes virus.

Although treatments for the STD may reduce the frequency of outbreaks, infected individuals can still pass the virus to others in between these intervals.