Table 3.
Risk Factors for Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Genital Shedding or Lesion Frequency
| Risk Factor | Total HSV Shedding |
Subclinical HSV Shedding |
Genital Lesions |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unadjusted |
Unadjusted |
Unadjusted |
Adjusteda |
|||||
| RR (95% CI) | P Value | RR (95% CI) | P Value | RR (95% CI) | P Value | RR (95% CI) | P Value | |
| HIV status (seropositive vs seronegative) | 1.4 (.9–2.1) | .14 | 1.2 (.8–1.9) | .41 | 1.6 (.9–2.7) | .12 | … | |
| Sex (men vs women) | 2.0 (1.3–2.9) | <.001 | 1.7 (1.1–2.7) | .01 | 2.0 (1.2–3.4) | .009 | 2.1 (1.2–3.4) | .005 |
| Age (per y increase) | 1.0 (.98–1.02) | .79 | 1.0 (.97–1.02) | .56 | 1.0 (.98–1.03) | .66 | … | |
| Age at first sex, y | ||||||||
| 10–17 | 1.0 (Reference) | 1.0 (Reference) | 1.0 (Reference) | … | ||||
| 18–25 | 1.1 (.8–1.7) | .54 | 0.9 (.6–1.5) | .77 | 1.0 (.6–1.7) | .97 | … | |
| History of genital herpes symptoms | 1.3 (.7–2.3) | .35 | 1.1 (.6–2.0) | .76 | 3.7 (1.4–9.5) | .007 | 3.8 (1.5–9.8) | .005 |
| Time since first genital herpes symptoms, y | ||||||||
| <1 | 1.0 (Reference) | 1.0 (Reference) | 1.0 (Reference) | … | ||||
| 1–9 | 1.4 (.8–2.5) | .25 | 1.4 (.7–2.5) | .33 | 2.2 (1.0–5.0) | .06 | … | |
| ≥10 | 1.1 (.5–2.3) | .79 | 1.1 (.5–2.3) | .89 | 1.4 (.6–3.3) | .46 | … | |
| Unknown | 1.0 (.6–1.9) | .89 | 1.0 (.5–2.1) | .91 | 2.0 (.8–5.1) | .14 | … | |
| No history of genital herpes | 0.9 (.5–1.8) | .75 | 1.0 (.5–2.1) | .90 | 0.5 (.1–1.5) | .21 | … | |
| Male circumcision | 1.2 (.7–2.1) | .52 | 1.3 (.7–2.3) | .36 | 0.8 (.3–1.9) | .58 | … | |
| Hormonal birth controlb | 1.1 (.6–2.0) | .79 | 1.0 (.5–1.9) | .97 | 0.9 (.5–1.7) | .75 | … | |
| Menses | 0.9 (.6–1.2) | .47 | 0.9 (.6–1.2) | .51 | 1.0 (.6–1.5) | .95 | … | |
| CD4+ T-cell count (<350 vs ≥350 cells/mm3)c | 1.7 (1.0–2.7) | .04 | 1.5 (.8–2.7) | .17 | 1.6 (.8–3.1) | .15 | … | |
| HIV RNA load (>104 vs ≤104 log10 copies/mL)c | 1.7 (1.0–2.8) | .04 | 1.5 (.8–2.9) | .21 | 1.6 (.9–3.0) | .13 | … | |
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; RR, relative risk.
a Adjusted for sex and history of genital herpes symptoms.
b Among women only. The reference group includes those using no birth control and those using birth control other than hormonal agents.
c For HIV-seropositive subjects only.