Herpes patients asked for help
Those living with Australia’s second most common sexually-transmitted infection are being urged to share their experiences with the disease in an online survey.
The Australian Herpes Management Forum (AHMF) is calling for people who have been diagnosed with and treated for genital herpes to participate in the Genital Herpes Patient Perspectives Survey of herpes management and treatment practices. The survey aims to provide an up-to-date snapshot of the views of Australians living with genital herpes.
Professor Tony Cunningham, director of the Westmead Millennium Institute and Research Centre and a
leading expert in the field of infectious diseases, said the survey would help health professionals understand the experiences and thoughts of patients regarding the treatments available.
-œIt is important that people with genital herpes understand the treatment options available and can evaluate which option is best for them, particularly given that 12 percent of Australians over the age of 25 are carrying the virus, said Cunningham.
The incidence of herpes among young people is rising, while a 2006-07 survey assessing herpes risk groups found that 54 percent of respondents were at a medium risk of contracting the virus, and a further 34 percent were at a high risk. As the virus has no known cure, Cunningham stressed the importance of further research to provide the best possible treatments.
info: To participate in the Genital Herpes Patient Perspectives Survey, visit
ahmf.com.au/herpes-treatment-survey.
