DETROIT, June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- A silent epidemic taking a disproportionate toll in the African American community is the focus of a new educational campaign launched today by GlaxoSmithKline with the support of the Detroit Department of Health, American Social Health Association (ASHA) and the National Medical Association (NMA). The campaign called "Say Yes to Knowing" is designed to raise awareness among African-American adults in Detroit of the high prevalence and risks associated with genital herpes.
While herpes may seem to have fallen out of the national consciousness, the disease now affects 50 million adults nationwide. With an infection rate of nearly one in two, African American adults bear an unusually high burden of the disease.
The new educational campaign which includes local advertising and other types of public and medical education is designed to encourage conversations between African American adults and their healthcare providers about genital herpes and its risks.
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the herpes simplex virus. The virus never leaves the body, making it a lifelong condition that can recur at various times with or without symptoms. Symptoms of genital herpes may include painful or itchy clusters of blisters, bumps and rashes in the genital area, or on the thighs or buttocks. Aside from the physical symptoms and the associated emotional distress which can be severe, herpes can have other important consequences such as increasing one's risk of acquiring HIV disease. And, if left undetected, it can be spread unknowingly to others through sexual activity or in childbirth to a newborn.
"Given the impact and consequences of herpes, it is important to raise awareness and to empower individuals to break the silence and help stem the tide," says Dr. Albert W. Morris, President of the National Medical Association. "Combating this silent epidemic requires that people talk to their doctor or healthcare professional about genital herpes, so if they do have the disease they can manage it effectively and reduce their risk of spreading it."
Addressing a Public Health Need
The Say Yes to Knowing campaign -- which will run until the end of the year -- will address a public health need highlighted by national data on genital herpes infections from a study sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in August 2006. These data, when compared to U.S. Census data, indicate that nearly 1 in 2 African American adults nationwide has genital herpes; among the general U.S. population, the rate is 1 in 5. Past data have shown that almost 90 percent of people with genital herpes do not realize they have the disease, and that as many as 70 percent contracted the disease from a partner when they had no signs or symptoms.
These numbers are all the more troubling in light of a knowledge gap about the prevalence and risks of genital herpes among the African American community revealed by a recent survey conducted in Detroit by Lightspeed Research and commissioned by GlaxoSmithKline. The survey was conducted among 112 African American adults ages 18-49 in Detroit between April 27, 2007 and May 10, 2007. The survey was intended to gauge the beliefs among African Americans in Detroit about the prevalence and risk of genital herpes. Key findings from the survey include:
-- About 85 percent of African American adults do not realize that nearly 1 in 2 African American adults nationwide has genital herpes -- More than nine out of ten respondents do not know that of those with genital herpes, the vast majority (90 percent) do not know they have it -- More than 80 percent are unaware that having genital herpes triples the risk of contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, from an infected partner
"It's important that people talk with their doctor if they think they may have the disease," says Peter G. Gulick, DO, Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease. "Herpes can be detected by a specific blood test, and armed with information about one's health status, steps can be taken to manage the condition and reduce their risk of spreading it."
Campaign Explained
Taken together, the national herpes data and local survey findings reinforce the need for individuals to talk to their healthcare provider about genital herpes, its signs and risks, and ways to reduce the risk of transmission. To reduce the gap and encourage open communication between individuals and their healthcare providers, Say Yes to Knowing has released a series of print and radio awareness advertisements. The ads -which started appearing today in the Michigan Chronicle, Rolling Out UrbanStyle Weekly, Essence and airing on local radio stations-direct people to helpful information resources, including the campaign's website, www.herpes411.com, that will give them the knowledge they need to have an open conversation with their doctor.
The campaign is also providing healthcare providers with peer and patient education materials, including patient awareness brochures and awareness posters. In addition, Say Yes to Knowing is working with local community groups and public health agencies to reach out through community health fairs and other public events, and to identify other channels for getting the message of genital herpes awareness to the local African American community in Detroit.
"We are glad to support this campaign and help address this health disparity," said Dr. Anita Moncrease, Medical Director, Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion. "Everyone with a stake in disease prevention, people, doctors, and local agencies, needs to hear this message so that we can all work together and bring the spread of genital herpes under control."
About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and health care companies. GlaxoSmithKline is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For more information on GlaxoSmithKline, visit http://www.gsk.com/. For more information about the Say Yes to Knowing campaign, visit www.herpes411.com.
Media Contact: Marc Meachem
GlaxoSmithKline 919-483-2839
GlaxoSmithKlineCONTACT: Marc Meachem of GlaxoSmithKline, +1-919-483-2839
Web site: http://www.herpes411.com/http://gsk.com/
