Genital Herpes: Economic Impact and Healthcare Costs

The first-ever global estimates of the economic consequences of genital herpes infections and related sequelae show that these illnesses cost billions of dollars in health care costs and lost productivity worldwide.

The research, which will be published on July 1st in the journal BMC Global and Public Health, urges increased funding for measures aimed at preventing the spread of herpes, including coordinated attempts to create potent vaccinations against this widespread virus.

The World Health Organization and other academic institutions collaborated with the research team, which included corresponding author Nathorn Chaiyakunapruk, PharmD, PhD, professor of pharmacotherapy, and research fellow Haeseon Lee, PharmD, of the University of Utah Health’s College of Pharmacy. They go into detail about the estimated global and regional economic costs related to genital herpes.

One of the two forms of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) is the cause of herpes. In the world, 67% of individuals between the ages of 0 and 49 have HSV-1, according to the most recent data available. It is primarily picked up in childhood, spreads by oral contact, and results in infections in the mouth and surrounding tissues (oral herpes, cold sores). If an adult was not infected during infancy, they may get genital HSV-1 infection through sexual interaction. Type 2 causes genital herpes and is transmitted through sexual contact. Roughly 13% of people in the world between the ages of 15 and 49 have HSV-2 infection.

Apart from blisters and sores, HSV can result in more severe issues that need medical attention, like an elevated risk of HIV infection and an uncommon possibility of mother-to-child transmission during childbirth.

For more information: Estimated global and regional economic burden of genital herpes simplex virus infection among 15–49 year-olds in 2016, BMC Global and Public Health, https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-024-00053-6