Herpes in South Africa

Genital herpes (HSV-2) is widespread in Africa, and more common in people who have HIV because this increases susceptibility to infection. According to the government’s 2012 antenatal clinic survey, 55,8% of women aged 15 to 49 who were tested in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Northern Cape and Western Cape had been infected with HSV-2.

AT MY LAST GYNAE appointment, I cheerfully asked the nurse to give me the full spectrum of STI tests. I’d dated a few new guys and although I’m careful, I like the peace of mind of an all-clear. She rattled off the diseases she’d be testing for. One wasn’t there. ‘And herpes, right?’ I asked. The answer: a definitive no. I’d never had an outbreak of sores, so there was nothing to be gained from the blood test, she said. She’d tested women like me at their insistence and when the test was positive, ‘they were traumatised’. Patients had reacted better to an HIV diagnosis. ‘At worst,’ she said, ‘it’s cold sores on the genitals.’ I was floored. But she’s right: the condition is mostly harmless and very common. It’s not curable but it is controllable.

While some doctors do encourage herpes screenings, many do not. Even the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise herpes tests only for symptomatic patients or those with a partner who has the virus, because chances are it would be positive. ‘Ninety-five percent of the population tests positive for herpes virus 1 and 2,’ says Elna McIntosh of Disa Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic. ‘These are herpes antibodies and it just means the person was exposed to the virus at some stage.’ If you have symptoms, however, it’s worth getting checked out to know what it is. ‘Skin diseases can look similar, so it’s important to have the correct diagnosis.’