TUESDAY, Dec. 30, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- A study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health will evaluate the effectiveness of a vaccine believed to prevent genital herpes in women.
The study will focus specifically on women aged 18 to 30 years old who have not contracted herpes. Nationwide, more than 7,500 women will participate at more than 20 sites.
It will be conducted by the UCLA Center for Vaccine Research in collaboration with Southern California colleges and universities.
About 20 percent to 25 percent of the population has the virus that causes genital herpes, which annually affects about a half-million new people. There is no vaccine to prevent its spread, and no cure.
The study follows earlier clinical trials of the vaccine involving more than 7,400 men, women, teens and adults. In those studies, the vaccine protected nearly three-quarters of women who had no prior evidence of the viruses that cause herpes outbreaks.
"We are long overdue for vaccines to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, which impact millions of adults and newborns worldwide," says Dr. Joel I. Ward, director of the center for vaccine research. "Prevention must be a high priority if we are to impact the rising tide of genital herpes infections."
Women interested in participating in the study can call nurse practitioner and study coordinator Linda Lynes at (310) 781-3693 or (800) 637-8860, or e-mail her at llynes@rei.edu.
More information
Here's where you can learn more about genital herpes.
