(19 Jul 2001)

Condoms appear to reduce significantly women’s risk of contracting genital herpes but may not be so effective in men, a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed.[1]

The news that condoms could offer women significant protection against herpes infection should be warmly welcomed by women, who appear to contract genital herpes more easily than men (in the USA, 26% of women have genital herpes compared with only 18% of men). However, Dr Anna Wald, from the University of Washington Virology Research Clinic, who led the study, warned that this particular finding may be no more than a statistical fluke.

‘While health officials have long advised condom use, this is the first study to confirm that condoms offer protection against genital herpes,’ stated Dr Wald.

Scientists do not know why condoms would offer less protection against herpes to men than to women. One theory is that condoms do not shield men from the entire genital area from which women can pass on the virus.

The study, conducted in the USA, involved 528 monogamous couples where one partner had genital herpes. Around half the infected partners were women. Thirty-one people, 26 women and five men, contracted genital herpes during the study. Despite being advised to use condoms, only 61% of the couples said they had done so. Among the couples who did use condoms regularly, only two, both men, acquired herpes.

If you are in a relationship where one of you has genital herpes and want to find out more about how to reduce the risk of transmission, see our information leaflet, Genital Herpes: What it Means for Partners.

Reference:

1. Wald A, Langenberg AG, Link K, Izu AE, Ashley R, Warren T, Tyring S, Douglas JM Jr, Corey L. Effect of condoms on reducing the transmission of herpes simplex virus type 2 from men to women. JAMA 2001;285:3100–3106.