The 'Ask the Nurse' service on the IHA website has now been running for a year and is proving as popular as ever, demonstrating the clear need for this type of confidential and personalised information service. Since she first went online in July 2003, our experienced nurse-counsellor, Catherine Cook, has dealt with more than 1,400 enquiries across a whole range of herpes-related topics.

71% of e-mails have been received from females, suggesting that men are more reticent about discussing herpes. Just under half (49%) of queries were from those in the age group 21-35.

Issues surrounding transmission of the virus and how to prevent this remain the primary area of concern (34% of enquiries) but other key topics include medication/treatment and relationships, each of which account for 18% of e-mails. 17% of enquiries were from people who had genital symptoms which may be related to herpes, but had not consulted a doctor or been diagnosed. This suggests that some people are using the Internet as their first port of call for information about herpes.

Catherine comments: "It is clear that transmission is a particularly important issue for many people affected by herpes. I receive a number of e-mails from people whose HSV status is unknown; ie, they assume that they do not have herpes, and are contemplating a relationship with somebody who does have the virus and are keen to understand how to minimise the risk of infection. Many people e-mail me, having been told by a potential sexual partner that they have genital herpes. I find it heartening that the majority of these people are keen to find out the facts about this virus and prioritise wanting to explore a relationship with the new person because of personal character traits that person has, rather than making a relationship decision based on fear of the virus. While the stigma and myths regarding genital herpes continue to circulate, accurate information goes a long way to quelling people's concerns. The statistics regarding the reduction in transmission through the use of antiviral medication and condoms are particularly reassuring for people."

To contact Catherine, click on the 'Ask the Nurse' icon on the home page and fill out the pop-out form. All replies are treated in the strictest confidence.

Source

Summary of counselling statistics for clients of IHA website 'Ask the Nurse' section July 2003 - June 2004