Survey finds large Australian population at risk of herpes

The Australian Herpes Management Forum (AHMF) recently published the results of a web-based survey, which evaluated an individual's risk of contracting herpes. Of the 2,400 participants, approximately 36 percent were at a high risk of becoming infected with the sexually transmitted disease (STD).

The results of the questionnaire also showed that women were at an increased risk of herpes than men, according to the forum's website. However, male participants stated that they would be more likely to have sex with someone who has the STD than women.

A team from the forum designed the survey based on information collected from a national study, which asked individuals for their age, gender, condom use, sexual history and if they had potential herpes symptoms.

Adrian Mindel, chairman of the AHMF, reported on the website that "this survey shows that many people in Australia are at medium or high risk of acquiring genital herpes and that women are at a greater risk than men." He added that "it is important for those who are sexually active and have multiple partners to think about their sexual health and be tested for genital herpes."

In addition to Australia, the U.S. is a country that has a large population of individuals who are considered a high risk of contracting herpes. For example, from 2003 to 2006, approximately 10 percent of all individuals in the U.S. aged 20 to 29 had become infected with genital herpes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.