The acceptability of the introduction of a type specific herpes antibody screening test into a genitourinary medicine clinic in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Objective: To determine the uptake of a type specific herpes simplex antibody test if it were offered as part of routine screening in a genitourinary medicine clinic in a district general hospital in the United Kingdom.

Methods:Stage 1. A series of 207 consecutive new attenders and 205 patients who had attended the clinic previously were given written information about the test and asked whether they would want to have the test if it were available. They were asked whether they would wish to discuss it further with a counsellor before making a decision. Stage 2. Another series of 434 consecutive patients were offered the test after reading an information leaflet detailing the advantages and disadvantages of being tested. They were also offered the opportunity to see a counsellor for further information.

Results: In stage 1 of the study, 51% of men and 54% of women said they would want the test if it were available. 32% of men and 40% of women requested counselling. In stage 2, when the test was offered, 41% of men and 37% of women chose to have it, and 23% of men and 7% of women requested further information from the counsellor. 20 patients were herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) positive—four of whom would have been diagnosed on clinical grounds at the time of presentation. A further 12 men and 20 women excluded themselves from the study because they were known to have genital herpes. Therefore, type specific serology contributed 30% to total diagnoses in this population—16 out of a population of 52 would have remained undiagnosed without having had the test.

Conclusion: In this population, the uptake of the type specific herpes simplex antibody test was much less than expected and screening was of limited benefit in identifying large numbers of previously unrecognised HSV-2 positive patients.