The prevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 in women of Ahvaz

Background and Objectives: Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease in many developed and developing countries which mostly caused by herpes simplex virus type 2.With respect to the high prevalence of this disease around the world and considering a few studies in Iran, this study was done to evaluated the prevalence of HSV-2 in pap-smear samples from married women of Ahvaz. Materials and Methods: In this study, samples were collected randomly and transferred to the laboratory then, sample’s DNA was extracted and in order to identification of HSV-2 genes, PCR test was performed using specific primers. Results: The results showed that from 100 collected samples, 10% (n=10) were infected with herpes simplex virus type 2. Who mostly belonged to the age groups of 26-35 and 36-68 years old. Conclusion: HSV-2 is the major cause of genital herpes infection in women. Our result for the rate of infection was lower than the rate in most developed and developing countries which is consistent with the Iranian culture and less unrestrained sexual activities. According to the importance of this virus as a cofactor for cervical cancer and its high prevalence in women, it can be said that PCR test is a useful tool for detecting HSV-2 infection in women.