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Background: Economic losses due to herpes simplex infections in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are unknown. We estimated economic and quality-of-life losses due to genital herpes in 2019, in 90 LMICs, and from 2020 to 2030 in 45 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa. We additionally estimated economic losses due to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attributable to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infections. Methods and findings: We estimated genital herpes-related spending on treatment, wage losses due to absenteeism, and reductions in quality of life, for individuals aged 15 to 49 years, living with genital herpes. Had HSV-2 had contributed to the transmission of HIV, we estimated the share of antiretroviral treatment costs and HIV-related wage losses in 2019 that can be attributed to incident and prevalent HSV-2 infections in 2018. For the former, we used estimates of HSV-2 incidence and prevalence from the global burden of disease (GBD) study. For the latter, we calculated population attributable fractions (PAFs), using the classic (Levin's) epidemiological formula for polytomous exposures, with relative risks (RRs) reported in literature. To extend estimates from 2020 to 2030, we modeled the transmission of HSV-2 in 45 African countries using a deterministic compartmental mathematical model, structured by age, sex, and sexual activity, which was fitted to seroprevalence gathered from a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. In the 90 LMICs, genital herpes contributed to US$813.5 million in treatment and productivity losses in 2019 (range: US$674.4 to US$952.2 million). Given observed care-seeking and absenteeism, losses are in the range of US$29.0 billion (US$25.6 billion to US$34.5 billion). Quality-of-life losses in the amount of 61.7 million quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) are also possible (50.4 million to 74.2 million). The mean annual cost of treatment and wage losses per infection is US$183.00 (95% CI: US$153.60 to US$212.55); the mean annual cost of quality-of-life losses is US$343.27 (95% CI: 272.41 to 414.14). If HSV-2 has fueled the transmission of HIV, then seroprevalent HSV-2 cases in 2018 can account for 33.2% of the incident HIV infections in 2019, with an associated antiretroviral therapy (ART) cost of US$186.3 million (range: US$163.6 to US$209.5 million) and 28.6% of HIV-related wage losses (US$21.9 million; range: US$19.2 to US$27.4 million). In the WHO Africa region, the 3.9 million seroprevalent genital herpes cases from 2020 to 2030 contributed to US$700.2 million in treatment and productivity losses. Additionally, quality-of-life losses in the range of 88 million to 871 million QALYs are also possible. If HSV-2 has contributed to the transmission of HIV, then in 2020, the PAF of HIV due to prevalent HSV-2 will be 32.8% (95% CI: 26.7% to 29.9%) and due to incident infections will be 4.2% (95% CI: 2.6% to 3.4%). The PAF due to prevalent infections will decline to 31.0% by 2030 and incident infections to 3.6%. Though we have accounted for the uncertainty in the epidemiological and economic parameter values via the sensitivity analysis, our estimates still undervalue losses due to limiting to the 15- to 49-year-old population. Conclusions: Economic losses due to genital herpes in LMICs can be large, especially when considering the lifelong nature of the disease. Quality-of-life losses outweigh spending on treatment and reductions in productivity. If HSV-2 has contributed to the spread of HIV in LMICs, then nearly one third of antiretroviral costs and HIV-related wage losses can be attributed to HSV-2. Given the magnitude of the combined losses, a vaccine against HSV-2 must be a global priority. In a modelling study, Dr Sachin Silva and colleagues estimate the economic burden of genital herpes and HIV attributable to herpes simplex virus type-2 infections in 90 low and middle income countries. Author summary: Why was this study done?: ▪ Economic losses due to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infections in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are unknown. ▪ Quality-of-life losses due to genital herpes in LMICs are also unknown, both in terms of their magnitude and their economic value. ▪ If HSV-2 has indeed fueled the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as has been conjectured, then the share of HIV-related spending in LMICs that are attributable to HSV-2 infections are also unknown. What did the researchers do and find?: ▪ We estimated direct and indirect economic losses and quality-of-life losses due to genital herpes in individuals between the aged of 15 to 49 living in 90 LMICs in 2019. ▪ We also estimated these costs in 45 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa region from 2020 to 2030, by constructing a mathematical model of HSV-2 dynamics to predict HSV-2 incidence and prevalence. ▪ We supplemented the 2019 estimates with the share of HIV-related spending in 2019 attributable HSV-2 infections in 2018. ▪ For the 90 LMICs, we found that treatment costs and productivity losses in 2019 are in the range of US$674.4 and US$952.2 million. ▪ Quality-of-life losses are in the range of 50.4 million to 74.2 million quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). ▪ Additionally, seroprevalent HSV-2 cases in 2019 can account for 33.2% of antiretroviral therapy (ART) costs for incident HIV cases and 28.6% of HIV-related wage. What do these findings mean?: ▪ Economic losses due to genital herpes can be substantial, especially when considering the lifelong nature of the disease. ▪ The quality-of-life losses due to genital herpes outweigh spending on treatment and reduced productivity (on the order of US$212 billion). ▪ If HSV-2 has indeed contributed to the transmission of HIV, then nearly one third of antiretroviral costs and HIV-related wage losses add to these costs. ▪ Given the magnitude of the above losses in LMICs, a vaccine against HSV-2 should be a global priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Worldwide, women face sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks including unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) combine protection against two or more SRH risks into one product. Male and female condoms are the only currently available MPT products, but several other forms of MPTs are in development. We examined the global distribution of selected SRH issues to determine where various risks have the greatest geographical overlap.Study Design: We examined four indicators relevant to MPTs in development: HIV prevalence, herpes simplex virus type 2 prevalence (HSV-2), human papillomavirus prevalence (HPV) and the proportion of women with unmet need for modern contraception. Using ArcGIS Desktop, we mapped these indicators individually and in combination on choropleth and graduated symbol maps. We conducted a principal components analysis to reduce data and enable visual mapping of all four indicators on one graphic to identify overlap.Results: Our findings document the greatest overlapping risks in Sub-Saharan Africa, and we specify countries in greatest need by specific MPT indication.Conclusions: These results can inform strategic planning for MPT introduction, market segmentation and demand generation; data limitations also highlight the need for improved (non-HIV) STI surveillance globally.Implications: MPTs are products in development with the potential to empower women to prevent two or more SRH risks. Geographic analysis of overlapping SRH risks demonstrates particularly high need in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study can help to inform strategic planning for MPT introduction, market segmentation and demand generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High adherence and maintenance of blinding are critical for placebo-controlled efficacy trials of HIV-1 biomedical prevention strategies. We assessed adherence to study drug and factors affecting adherence, including perceived randomization group, in a post-trial questionnaire of participants who completed HPTN 039, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of HSV-2 suppression with twice-daily acyclovir to reduce HIV-1 acquisition. Of the 3172 trial participants, 2003 (63%) completed the post-trial questionnaire. Of these 2003, 72% reported missing a dose of study drug less than twice a week. Study drug adherence was not compromised by perceived randomization or genital ulcer symptoms during the study. Alcohol use was cited as an adherence barrier in some populations. Assessment of study drug adherence during and at the end of trials can evaluate perceptions of randomization and adherence by randomization arm, help to better understand barriers to and motivations for adherence, and develop interventions to increase adherence for future trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extensive evidence from observational studies suggests a role for genital herpes in the HIV epidemic. A number of herpes vaccines are under development and several trials of the efficacy of HSV-2 treatment with acyclovir in reducing HIV acquisition, transmission, and disease progression have just reported their results or will report their results in the next year. The potential impact of these interventions requires a quantitative assessment of the magnitude of the synergy between HIV and HSV-2 at the population level. Methods and Findings: A deterministic compartmental model of HIV and HSV-2 dynamics and interactions was constructed. The nature of the epidemiologic synergy was explored qualitatively and quantitatively and compared to other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The results suggest a more substantial role for HSV-2 in fueling HIV spread in sub- Saharan Africa than other STIs. We estimate that in settings of high HSV-2 prevalence, such as Kisumu, Kenya, more than a quarter of incident HIV infections may have been attributed directly to HSV-2. HSV-2 has also contributed considerably to the onward transmission of HIV by increasing the pool of HIV positive persons in the population and may explain one-third of the differential HIV prevalence among the cities of the Four City study. Conversely, we estimate that HIV had only a small net impact on HSV-2 prevalence. Conclusions: HSV-2 role as a biological cofactor in HIV acquisition and transmission may have contributed substantially to HIV particularly by facilitating HIV spread among the low-risk population with stable long-term sexual partnerships. This finding suggests that prevention of HSV-2 infection through a prophylactic vaccine may be an effective intervention both in nascent epidemics with high HIV incidence in the high risk groups, and in established epidemics where a large portion of HIV transmission occurs in stable partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A retrospective study of 55 HIV-1 seropositive African patients living in the UK, seen between January 1986 and November 1993, showed a total of 26 (47%) patients with AIDS. Thirty-one (56%) had symptomatic HIV disease at the time of presentation of whom 19 (34.5%) had an AIDS defining condition. Tuberculosis was the most common AIDS defining illness, accounting for 27% of all initial AIDS diagnoses, followed by by Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and oesophageal candidiasis in 19% each and chronic mucocutaneous genital herpes in 15%. The mean CD4 count at the time of the first AIDS defining event was 91 x 10/mm3 (range 4-320 x 10/mm3). The profile of AIDS defining illnesses was different to published data of homosexual men and injecting drug users in the UK. This has practical implications when considering differential diagnoses and screening as well as prophylaxis for opportunistic infections in this group of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]