HSV-2 incidence by sex over four age periods to age 38 in a birth cohort

Nigel Dickson; Antoinette Righarts; Thea van Roode; Charlotte Paul; Janette Taylor; Anthony L Cunningham

doi:10.1136/sextrans-2013-051235

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HSV-2 incidence by sex over four age periods to age 38 in a birth cohort

Journal article

Peer reviewed

HSV-2 incidence by sex over four age periods to age 38 in a birth cohort

Nigel Dickson, Antoinette Righarts, Thea van Roode, Charlotte Paul, Janette Taylor and Anthony L Cunningham

Sexually transmitted infections, Vol.90(3), pp.243-245

05/2014

DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2013-051235

PMID: 24337730

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Abstract

To examine herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) incidence over four periods to age 38 in a birth cohort, and to compare risks for men and women, taking into account sexual behaviour. At ages 21, 26, 32 and 38, participants in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study were invited to provide serum for HSV-2 serology, and information on sexual behaviour. HSV-2 incidence rates were calculated for four age periods, and comparisons made by sex and period, taking into account number of sexual partners. By age 38, 17.3% of men and 26.8% of women had ever been seropositive for HSV-2. Incidence peaked for women from age 21 to 26 (19.1 per 1000 person-years) and men from age 26 to 32 (14.1 per 1000 person-years); it fell markedly for both from age 32 to 38 (5.1 and 6.8 per 1000 person-years for men and women, respectively). Overall risk was significantly higher for women: adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.9 (95% CI 1.4 to 2.7); the sex difference was most marked from age 21 to 26 (3.4, 95% CI 1.9 to 6.3). Our findings are consistent with a greater biological susceptibility to HSV-2 among women, and with the increasing risk to the early/mid-20s for women and late 20s/early 30s for men, being driven by an increasing pool of prevalent infection. The reduced risk in the mid-30s is consistent with declining infectivity of long-term prevalent infections.

Herpesvirus 2, Human - isolation & purification

Age Distribution

Humans

Risk Factors

Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data

Male

Incidence

Herpes Genitalis - prevention & control

Time Factors

Sex Distribution

Adult

Female

Sexual Partners

Longitudinal Studies

Herpes Genitalis - epidemiology

Cohort Studies

New Zealand - epidemiology

Details

Title: Subtitle: HSV-2 incidence by sex over four age periods to age 38 in a birth cohort
Creators: Nigel Dickson - Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, , Dunedin, New Zealand
Antoinette Righarts
Thea van Roode
Charlotte Paul
Janette Taylor
Anthony L Cunningham
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Sexually transmitted infections, Vol.90(3), pp.243-245
Publisher: England
DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2013-051235
PMID: 24337730
ISSN: 1368-4973
eISSN: 1472-3263
Language: English
Date published: 05/2014
Academic Unit: African American Studies; Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies
Record Identifier: 9983985953102771

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