Bacterial Vaginosis May Heighten the Risk for Acquiring Herpes Simplex Virus-2

A study conducted by T.L. Cherpes and colleagues at the
University of Pittsburgh, Medical Center, discovered that
bacterial vaginosis may heighten the risk of acquiring herpes
simplex virus-2.

The researchers conducted a longitudinal cohort
study of sexually active women ages 18-30 to identify variables
associated with HSV-2 infections, following up 670 HSV-2-
seronegative women at four-month intervals for one year. They
detected acquisition of HSV-2 antibodies in 32 of those women.

"Black race, less than or equal to 12 years of education,
having a new sex partner, and bacterial vaginosis (BV) were
associated with HSV-2 seroconversion on univariate analysis," the
investigators wrote. "Antecedent HSV-1 infection was not
protective against HSV-2 acquisition."

After controlling for other risk factors in multivariable
models, the scientists found that the diagnosis of BV remained
associated with an increased risk of HSV-2 infection. "In this
study, the population attributable risk of BV for HSV-2
seroconversion was 21 percent," according to the report.

The authors recommended further research to determine
whether screening and treatment of BV could reduce women's
susceptibility to HSV-2 infection. The report, "Association
Between Acquisition of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 in Women and
Bacterial Vaginosis," appeared in Clinical Infectious Diseases