Sexual Health | Pathology | Diagnosing Anogenital Herpes

Diagnosing Anogenital Herpes
Session Overview
Description
The session explains how to select the most appropriate samples and tests for diagnosing genital herpes, discussing the available tests, their sensitivity and specificity, and their potential advantages or disadvantages.There will be an explanation of direct virus detection methods and serological tests, with guidance given on how to interpret the results and avoid possible pitfalls.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

Identify which samples should be taken to make a diagnosis of anogenital herpes
Identify the most appropriate diagnostic tests for anogenital herpes
Discuss the advantages and limitations of different diagnostic methods
Describe the main indications for serological testing
Interpret the results of diagnostic tests for anogenital herpes
Discuss the timescale between exposure to infection and tests for anogenital herpes becoming positive

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should complete:

Module 2/Interpreting Laboratory Tests (260-0193)
Module 2/Antigen and Antibody Tests (260-0019)
Module 2/Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (260-0020)

Anogenital herpes, caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV), is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed at genitourinary medicine clinics in the United Kingdom.

Data from Public Health England show that between 2009 and 2018, the number of anogenital HSV diagnoses made at GUM clinics in England and Wales increased by 5% in men (Fig 1) and by 23% in women (Fig 2). The overall rate of diagnosis in men was essentially unchanged over this time, but the rate of new anogenital herpes diagnoses in women increased by 10%. By contrast, between 1971 and 2008, the number of new diagnoses increased 7 and 30 fold in men and women, respectively.

The increase in the number of diagnoses (both first and recurrent episodes) is partially driven by the increasing sensitivity of ava