(10 Apr 2002)

The theme of this year’s National STD Awareness Month taking place throughout the USA in April is ‘Herpes. Spread the Word. Not the Virus.’

This blunt message is aimed to increase public awareness of genital herpes in the USA, where one-in-five Americans over the age of 12 has the infection but, it is thought, as many as 90% are unaware of it.

The campaign’s sponsor is the American Social Health Association (ASHA), a non-profit organization.

ASHA’s senior director of program development, Charlie Ebel, said: ‘While there have been tremendous advances in diagnostics and treatments for genital herpes, there is still a great deal of stigma surrounding the infection.’

Charlie, who is also a leading figure in the International Herpes Alliance, added: ‘We want people with genital herpes to know they are not alone. It’s time to spread the word and decrease the stigma.’

For more information visit ASHA's website at www.ashastd.org