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Survey Reveals
New INSIGHTS Into Genital Herpes(onlinedatingmagazine.com -
November 15, 2003) Results of an international
survey reveal that diagnosed patients need more information
about genital herpes – a sexually transmitted
disease that has reached epidemic proportions – in
order to better manage the condition and protect against
associated public health risks. The INSIGHTS survey,
presented last spring by the International Herpes Management
Forum (IHMF) and the International Herpes Alliance
(IHA) at the 10th annual IHMF meeting in Paris, France,
uncovered concerns about diagnostic methods and impact
on social relations, and treatment.
The survey revealed that patients in the U.S. reported
major concerns upon being diagnosed with genital herpes
including how it would affect their sex life (57%),
how easily the virus could be transmitted to someone
else (38%), and whether it was curable (34%). In addition,
almost all U.S. patient respondents said that genital
herpes affected their sex life (94%). While 65 percent
of respondents take antiviral medication when they
have an outbreak (episodically), only 33 percent use
antiviral medications regularly. But, when asked how
likely they would be to take medication daily to significantly
reduce the frequency and severity of outbreaks, 85
percent of respondents said they would likely do so.
“I was surprised to see that such a small percentage
of respondents did not know that for many patients,
suppressive therapy could reduce the number and severity
of their outbreaks,” said Jennifer Berman, M.D.,
best-selling author and co-director of the Female Sexual
Medicine Center at UCLA. “Clearly, there’s
a need for more patient education regarding treatment
approaches.”
The results also unveiled significant levels of patient
dissatisfaction with the care they receive upon diagnosis.
In particular, 79 percent of U.S. respondents said
their healthcare professional spent 15 minutes or less
discussing the diagnosis. One out of two patients (51%)
said they were dissatisfied with the information and
advice provided about the physical aspects of the condition
(e.g., symptoms, pain management). In addition, the
majority of patients (60%) were also dissatisfied with
the social and emotional counseling provided by their
healthcare professional, and many (40%) felt their
healthcare professional was unsympathetic.
“A diagnosis of genital herpes may not only
have a physical impact on patients, but an emotional
one as well. A climate needs to be established so that
patients can feel comfortable discussing STDs like
genital herpes with their healthcare professional to
ensure that they get the correct diagnosis and treatment,” said
Lisa Gilbert, Ph.D., Director of Research, American
Social Health Association (ASHA).
Following the presentation of the survey results,
Novartis announced its plans to launch RELIEF,
a six-month clinical study (Randomized, Episodic vs.
Long-term suppressIon Experience with Famvir) that
will explore the benefits of suppressive therapy versus
episodic therapy with an oral antiviral medication,
FamvirR (famciclovir). This information may prove useful
for physicians in selecting a treatment regimen appropriate
for their patients. Famvir is indicated in the U.S.
for the treatment or suppression of recurrent genital
herpes in immunocompetent patients. The efficacy of
Famvir has not been established for initial episode
genital herpes infection. The safety and efficacy of
Famvir for suppressive therapy have not been established
beyond one year. No antiviral has been proven to prevent
the transmission of genital herpes. In clinical trials,
the most commonly reported side effects were headache,
nausea, and diarrhea.
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