One of the issues that stirred the interest of researchers at the International AIDS Conference last week was the fact that people living with genital herpes are at high risk of contracting HIV. Health officials are worried about the situation because several studies suggested that genital herpes could actually double a person’s risk for contracting HIV.

Studies also suggested that long-term treatment of genital herpes with the drug acyclovir does not reduce the rate of new HIV infections.

Reports show the herpes rate is higher among women, black people and gay men.

Dr. C. Celum of the University of Washington, Seattle, and colleagues evaluated the effects of the drug acyclovir in a study that involved 1,814 gay men who have sex with men from the United States and Peru, and in 1,358 women from Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. They were infected with HSV-2 but not with HIV.

One group was given placebo pills and the second group took acyclovir. At the end of the study, researchers found the incidence of genital ulcers was significantly lower in the acyclovir group, but the incidence of HIV infection was the same in both the groups. These results led them to the conclusion that the condition facilitates the spread of virus and highlights the risk of contacting HIV, but it doesn’t represent a risk factor for HIV.

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2. Genital HSV-2 infection affects at least 45 million Americans ages 12 and older. It is more common in women. One out of four women is diagnosed with a fist episode of genital herpes.