Study: Treating Herpes Doesn't Prevent HIV

Doctors Long Thought Herpes Sufferers At Greater Risk, New Study "Significant, Disappointing"

(AP)  Doctors have long suspected that people with herpes are more likely to catch HIV. So they thought that by treating herpes, they could also cut a person's HIV risk.

But a new study that tested this strategy found the assumption may have been wrong.

"It's a significant, disappointing finding," Francis Ndowa, coordinator of the sexually transmitted infections control team at the World Health Organization, said in an interview.

Ndowa was not connected to the research, published Friday in the medical journal The Lancet.

The finding may spark a rethinking of HIV prevention strategies in Africa, where controlling sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes is usually part of general AIDS prevention plans.

Researchers tracked more than 3,000 men and women infected with herpes in Africa, Peru and the United States. Roughly half were treated with aciclovir, an antiviral that stops herpes ulcers.

After a year and a half, the scientists found that 75 people out of the 1,581 who had been receiving aciclovir were later infected with HIV. Of the 1,591 people who received placebo pills, 64 contracted HIV.

In the trial, researchers chose participants who had herpes and who faced similar risks of getting AIDS. The study also questioned the participants during monthly visits about risky sexual behavior with their recent partners.

The study was paid for by the United States' National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, other U.S. government institutes, and by GlaxoSmithKline PLC, which sells aciclovir as Zovirax.

A small study in Tanzania last year also suggested that treating herpes didn't help reducing HIV susceptibility.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that the theory of treating herpes to avoid HIV is incorrect, experts said.

"It's probably likely that we need considerably more potent interventions than we have," Connie Celum, a professor of global health and medicine at the University of Washington who led the Lancet study, told The Associated Press.

Experts said there was a complex relationship between the two viruses that is still not entirely understood.

When herpes ulcers erupt, that draws white blood cells to the skin to fight the virus. Unfortunately, those white blood cells also have receptors for HIV.

Ndowa said it was possible that even without the telltale ulcers, herpes might have lingered while patients were taking the aciclovir, allowing HIV to gain a foothold.

In an accompanying commentary in the Lancet, Ronald H. Gray and Maria J. Wawer of Johns Hopkins University said it was questionable whether controlling sexually transmitted infectious could work to prevent HIV.

"It is time to reassess the hypothesis and to adjust prevention policy accordingly," they wrote.

But Ndowa and Celum said the strategy of fighting herpes to prevent AIDS might work, if a different dosage or more powerful drug was tried.

"We don't exactly know why this didn't work, but this approach still has potential," Ndowa said. "Maybe it was just too much to expect from a tablet taken twice a day that it could be effective against HIV."

[infe5]

I would love to know the statistics on how many disease-ridden people knowingly engage in s ex with an unsuspecting partner. My guess is it''s pretty high. In the case of HIV knowingly being transmitted, it should be treated the same as attempted murder (or murder if treatment becomes ineffective). Victims of other STDs, especially incurable ones, should be able to sue for damages (assuming they know or can prove who gave it to them). Bottom line though, if you want to sleep around, be prepared to face serious consequences. And for gods sake, if you know you are disease-ridden, abstain; or find someone else with the same diseases. It is not worth ruining someone''s life merely for your s exual gratification.

[team-coco78]

I am really disappointed in the waste of time and money these "scientists" put towards this study. I don''t get how this got passed so many desks with approval. The headline of this article made me think "NO WAY."

[rf35]

Black widow spiders pair for life...every time they mate.

I think the article needs to define "risky sexual behavior." Are we talking not using condoms, butt seks, multiple partners, homosexual activity, bi-sexuality, animals, orgies, or what? I suppose some combination of the above, but it could be clearer. Anyway, treat herpes for herpes'' sake and leave HIV alone...it helps thin the herd.

[godofredo29]

Talk about counterintuitive. If you suffer from a virus and you repeatedly recover from it, and even though you aren''t cured, clearly your body is going to build up resistance. If instead, however, you thwart the body''s own immune mechanisms, the result will be predictable. That''s why were seeing so many of the childhood vaccines fail to adequately protect in adulthood. On the other hand, I do favor men having the option to receive the HPV vaccine, a line of defense against penile, anal, and esophogeal cancer, not to mention genital warts. Thousands have done it so far.

[kayaker1963]

donmuddiman,
What a dumb statement. I am an ultra left leaning liberal democrat, but maybe we should look at our own leaders before we start saying that divorce is just a conservative republican thing. I understand that the republicans are hypocrites about it, but your blanket general statement didn''t reflect this.
And hypnotoad, not every religion or civilized empire has had pairing laws. ANd the majority of unintelligent animals don''t "pair for life". Most animals are a wam bam thank you mam/sir

[hoseobama]

"WHAT!!??
There are scientists out there...SCIENTISTS...that think if you treat one disease it will prevent another that is not directly related?! I thought our country had a grasp on this disease. I guess not. - posted by jboxton


So true.

I have to wonder if this was a ''pork'' expenditure. Where do these folks get their money from!

WHO EVER gets into office needs to stop this type of spending.

[superdem]

You are wrong about animal pairings and fidelity in the animal world. Genetic tests of the chicks in nests of hawks and eagles, who pair for life, show some chicks are theirs, some are from matings outside the pair bond, and some are not related to the raising parents at all - surrogate parenting. Same thing with geese, which pair for life. So animals cheat on the side - surprise ! You cannot force your value judgements on nature. Further, the species are stronger and have greater genetic diversity from the "cheating." If you''re going to point to nature to prove your point, you ought to know a little about it.

[jboxton]

WHAT!!??
There are scientists out there...SCIENTISTS...that think if you treat one disease it will prevent another that is not directly related?! I thought our country had a grasp on this disease. I guess not.

[hoseobama]

"Animals in nature might pair for life (which by the way is not universally true, it depends on the species), but not Republicans, eg. John McCain, Bob Dole, Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, and others too numerous to mention. - Posted by donmuddiman

Dear reader, you''ll have to excuse the liberal that wrote the above. Somehow, they always seem to feel fault-free. Almost as if the Democrats don''t have their marital affairs - (does the name Monica ring any bells?).

I''m not really certain what Politics has to do with HIV or Herpes, unless this person is just so full of hate. But, as usual, you''ll note, this liberal doesn''t accept any responsibility, and has his index finger extended jabbing it at others.

Pathetic, simply pathetic.

[donmuddiman]

Animals in nature might pair for life (which by the way is not universally true, it depends on the species), but not Republicans, eg. John McCain, Bob Dole, Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, and others too numerous to mention.

[hypnotoad72]

Well, DUH!!!

Maybe that''s why every religion and civilized empire has put up pairing laws. We ought to be smart enough to know better, but Valtrex and that AIDS hospice are close enough I suppose. :-S

Even "unintelligent animals" such as birds pair for life - and don''t need a law or message to help them.

[grammawhamma]

Duh!