Genital herpes. A pervasive psychosocial disorder

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

“…Is heterosexual AIDS increasing? In 1985, only 3% of HIV/AIDS cases involved heterosexual transmission, so there has been a major increase in heterosexual transmission of HIV in the United States (Figure 17.6). In the rest of the world, it is estimated that heterosexuals make up fully 90% of the HIV-infected people at present.…”

Education in Psychodermatology: Herpes labialis and genitalis

“…The retrospective casuistic studies also point to psychological triggers in a majority of cases [11,25], but they should be evaluated with caution. The demonstrated positive influence of various psychosocial interventions on the frequency of recurrence of herpes (see below: Therapy) also confirms the hypothesis of a psychosomatic relationship in a subgroup of patients.…”

Perceived stressors and coping responses in persons with recurrent genital herpes

“…The clinical literature on genital herpes testifies to the potentially serious adjustment problems faced by persons with this disease. Clinicians have observed a multitude of problems including a "herpes syndrome" characterized by depression, lowered self-esteem, shame, and guilt (Bierman, 1983;Drob, 1986;Drob, Loemer, & Lufshutz, 1985;Luby & Klinge, 1985).…”