http://www.gsk.com/press_archive/press2003/press_07282003.htm

New study in suburban population shows Herpes is very common

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Ottawa, Canada, July 28, 2003 -- According to a recent study of 36
primary care physician (PCP) offices in relatively affluent suburban
areas of six U.S. cities, one-fourth of people (25.5 percent) tested
positive for the virus that causes genital herpes, despite the fact
only four percent reported a history of the condition. As the study
shows, genital herpes infection rates were high even among suburban,
educated and mid-high income populations. The results of this study
were presented today at the 15th Biennial Congress of the
International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research
(ISSTDR).

"These findings help to break the stereotype that there are only
certain types of people that have herpes," said Douglas Fleming, M.D.,
lead study author and Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine,
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, NJ. "One of the
reasons herpes continues to spread is because very few people with the
virus know they have it. In order to help manage the spread of the
disease, both doctors and patients need to be aware that everyone who
is sexually active is at risk for getting herpes."

Most people who carry the virus are unaware they have the disease
because they never recognize the signs of infection. They often
mistake the symptoms of genital herpes with other conditions, such as
urinary tract infections (UTIs), fungal infections (e.g., jock itch),
allergic reactions or even ingrown hairs. This lack of recognition and
testing often results in the herpes virus being unknowingly passed to
others.

"Knowing that herpes is highly prevalent among affluent and educated
people living in the suburbs should help to erase some of the stigma
so commonly associated with the disease," said Dr. Ruth Westheimer,
America's leading sex and relationship therapist. "The prevalence
statistics should not be used to scare people, but encourage everyone
to always practice safer sex, including the use of condoms, to get
tested, to learn how to help prevent the continued spread of the
disease and, if they are infected, to understand their choices in
managing the disease."

About the study

The study took place at six randomly selected PCP offices in
relatively affluent areas in each of six U.S. cities (Atlanta,
Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver). At each office,
approximately 150 people age 18-59 volunteered to participate. All
blood samples were sent to a central laboratory to determine if the
sample was seropositive for HSV-2, in other words, had the virus that
causes genital herpes (GH). All samples were analyzed using the Focus
Technologies HerpeSelect® 2 ELISA IgG test designed specifically to
detect HSV-2 antibodies in the blood.

In total, 5,732 people were screened; 5,452 provided an analyzable
blood sample and 5,433 completed a questionnaire. The final sample was
75 percent white, 14 percent African American, and 4 percent Hispanic.
Eighty percent were employed full- or part-time, 74 percent had some
college or higher education, 45 percent had a household income of
$60,000 or higher, and 68 percent were married/living with their
partner.

The overall weighted HSV-2 seroprevalence was 25.5 percent - that
means 1 in 4 people tested positive for the virus that causes genital
herpes. The seroprevalence increased from 13.4 percent in the
18-29-year age group, to 25.2 percent (30-39 years), to 31.2 percent
(40-49 years) and 28.0 percent (50-59 years). Seroprevalence among
women (28.3 percent) was greater than that among men (22.0 percent),
and was consistently higher across all age groups. Of the 1,387 people
that tested positive for genital herpes, only 12 percent knew they
were infected.

The study showed that higher levels of education, income, and marital
status did not reduce the chances of having genital herpes: those with
some college had a prevalence of 27 percent, college graduates had a
prevalence of 22 percent, married individuals had a prevalence of 24
percent, those living with their partners had a prevalence of 29
percent, and those with household incomes of $60,000-$80,000 had a
prevalence of 25 percent while those with incomes over $100,000 had a
prevalence of 22 percent.

The study was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading
research-based pharmaceutical and health care companies.

About genital herpes

Genital herpes is a contagious viral infection primarily caused by the
herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) that spreads through physical
skin-to-skin contact in the genital area. It can affect both men and
women, causing periodic outbreaks that may appear as painful or itchy
clusters of blisters, bumps and rashes in the genital area, or on the
thighs or buttocks. Many people confuse genital herpes symptoms with
other conditions such as ingrown hair, jock itch, zipper burn,
hemorrhoids, allergic reactions, urinary tract infections (UTIs),
vaginal infections, insect bites, a cut or a scratch, and irritations
from sexual intercourse or tight jeans. In 1991, an estimated 45
million, or 1 in 5, Americans were infected with the virus that causes
genital herpes. Experts estimate that now 60 million Americans could
have the virus that causes genital herpes, and the CDC estimates that
approximately 1 million people are infected each year.

While genital herpes is not a life-threatening disease, the virus
never leaves the body, making it a lifelong condition that can recur
at various times with or without symptoms. In fact, one study showed
up to 70 percent of people may get genital herpes from a partner with
genital herpes who reported no signs or symptoms during recent sexual
contact. While there is no cure for herpes, patients can manage the
disease with suppressive therapy, which involves taking a prescription
medicine every day to help suppress outbreaks of genital herpes before
they occur, and episodic therapy, which involves taking a prescription
medicine at the first sign of a genital herpes outbreak and treating
each outbreak as it occurs. There are no treatments proven to reduce
the risk of spreading herpes to others.

To learn more about genital herpes, contact the National STD Hotline
at 1-800-227-8922, visit the American Social Health Association (ASHA)
online at www.ashastd.org or log onto www.WebMD.com.

Enquiries:

Mary Faye Dark
   

GlaxoSmithKline
   

919-483-2839
Bryan McNulty     DeVries Public Relations     212-891-0464
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