“…16,17 This is of particular importance when considering that, according to a recent study, later coitarche reduces the risk of not only STDs, but also of fertility-threatening complications as a result of STDs acquired at a young age. 18 Differently from most other studies, 13,14 in our study, the HSV-2 seroprevalence was not higher among females, which, however, is consistent with the results of surveys conducted in Italy in various populations. 2,3 The protective effect of anti-HSV-1 antibodies against the acquisition of HSV-2 infection is still unclear.…”