ArticlePloS one2015
Evaluating HIV Prevention Programs: Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Antibodies as Biomarker for Sexual Risk Behavior in Young Adults in Resource-Poor Countries.
Article in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Prevalence of genital and anorectal chlamydia trachomatis in Kenya by risk groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Herpes simplex virus: global infection prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2020Pooled it
- Trial
- Evidence and gap map report: Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) interventions for strengthening HIV prevention and research among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).Campbell systematic reviews · 2023Article
- Development of a Bead-Based Multiplex Assay for Use in Multianalyte Screening and Surveillance of HIV, Viral Hepatitis, Syphilis, and Herpes.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2022Article
- Evaluation of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Serological Tests for Use With Dried Blood Spots in Kenya.Sexually transmitted diseases · 2017Article
- Parallel declines in HIV and hepatitis C virus prevalence, but not in herpes simplex virus type 2 infection: A 10-year, serial cross-sectional study in an inner-city emergency department.Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMeasuring effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions is challenged by bias when using self-reported knowledge, attitude or behavior change. HIV incidence is an objective marker to measure effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions, however, because new infection rates are relatively low, prevention studies require large sample sizes. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is similarly transmitted and more prevalent and could thus serve as a proxy marker for sexual risk behavior and therefore HIV infection.
methodsHSV-2 antibodies were assessed in a sub-study of 70,000 students participating in an education intervention in Western Province, Kenya. Feasibility of testing for HSV-2 antibodies was assessed comparing two methods using Fisher's exact test. Three hundred and ninety four students (aged 18 to 22 years) were randomly chosen from the cohort and tested for HIV, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis. Out of these, 139 students were tested for HSV-2 with ELISA and surveyed for sexual risk behavior and 89 students were additionally tested for HSV-2 with a point-of-contact (POC) test.
resultsPrevalence rates were 0.5%, 1.8%, 0.3% and 2.3% for HIV, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis, respectively. Prevalence of HSV-2 antibodies was 3.4 % as measured by POC test (n=89) and 14.4 % by ELISA (n=139). Specificity of the POC test compared with ELISA was 100%, and the sensitivity only 23.1%. Associations between self-reported sexual behavior and HSV-2 serostatus could not be shown.
conclusionsAssociations between self-reported sexual risk behavior and HSV-2 serostatus could not be shown, probably due to social bias in interviews since its transmission is clearly linked. HSV-2 antibody testing is feasible in resource-poor settings and shows higher prevalence rates than other sexually transmitted diseases thus representing a potential biomarker for evaluation of HIV prevention interventions.
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