HIV Preventing Medicine May Have Added Benefits

Taking medications meant to prevent HIV infection may also help to prevent infection with the herpes simplex 2 virus, according to a new study.

In a large randomized trial comprised of 4747 heterosexual serodiscordant couples (couples in which 1 person has HIV and the other does not) daily medication like tenofovir was shown to decrease the risk of HIV infection by as much as 75%. 
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Originally, the study was not meant to test the medications’ effects on HSV-2 infections rates, but after another study was published suggestion an association, researchers began a subgroup analysis of the possible extra benefit.

Of the original participants, 1498 were both free of HSV-2 and HIV at baseline.   

At the end of the study, researchers identified 131 participants who had developed HSV-2 infections, 79 of which had been taking tenofovir and 52 of which had taken placebo.  Incidence rates were 5.6 and 7.7 per 100 person-years, respectively.

In couples where the HIV infected partner was also HSV-2 positive, incidence of HSV-2 infection in the uninfected partner was 10.1 and 7.0 per 100 person-years in placebo and medicated groups. 

“Modest protection against HSV-2 is an added benefit of HIV-1 prevention with oral tenofovir-based preexposure prophylaxis,” they concluded.

–Michael Potts

Celum C, Morrow RA, Donnell D, Hong T, et al. Daily Oral tenofovir and emtricitabine–tenofovir preexposure prophylaxis reduces herpes simplex virus type 2 acquisition among heterosexual HIV-1–uninfected men and women: A subgroup analysis of a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2014;161(1):11-19. http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleID=1884529. Accessed July 3, 2014.