Grade D recommendation against routine screening for asymptomatic adolescents and adults
TUESDAY, Aug. 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against routine serologic screening for genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in adolescents and adults who are asymptomatic, including pregnant women. These findings form the basis of a draft recommendation statement published online Aug. 2 by the USPSTF.
Members of the USPSTF reviewed the evidence for screening for genital HSV infection. Data were reviewed from 18 studies, of which none of the randomized controlled trials compared screening with no screening.
The Task Force found that the potential benefit of screening in asymptomatic adolescents and adults, including pregnant women, was found to be no greater than small. Potential harms, including the high false-positive rate, potential anxiety, and diagnosis-related disruption of relationships, were estimated to be at least moderate. As a result of these findings, the USPSTF concluded with moderate certainty that the harms outweigh the benefits for population-based genital HSV screening (D recommendation). The draft recommendation statement is available for comment through Aug. 29.
“While genital herpes is relatively common, testing is not generally helpful for people who have not experienced symptoms, in part because the tests are often inaccurate,” Task Force member, Maureen G. Phipps, M.D., M.P.H., said in a statement. “Further, because there’s no cure, there isn’t much doctors and nurses can do for people who don’t have symptoms.”
Evidence Review
Draft Recommendation Statement
Comment on Recommendation
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