Psychosexual burden of recurrent genital herpes: Quality of life, coping strategies and psychological distress
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Recurrent genital herpes caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) imposes a psychosexual burden that is often disproportionate to the physical severity of the disease. This cross-sectional survey examined quality of life, coping strategies and psychological distress among 264 adults with clinically confirmed recurrent genital herpes attending a venereology outpatient service in Debrecen, Hungary, between April 2023 and March 2024. Quality of life was assessed using the Recurrent Genital Herpes Quality of Life questionnaire (RGHQoL), coping strategies were explored through a structured inventory and psychological distress was measured by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The research is reported in accordance with the STROBE statement and the CROSS reporting guideline for survey research. Participants were predominantly female (58.3%), with a median age of 34 years (IQR 28-42) and a median disease duration of 4.6 years (IQR 2.1-8.3). Higher recurrence frequency was associated with significantly lower quality of life across all domains: participants with six or more recurrences per year scored a mean overall QoL of 48.4 (SD 14.2) compared with 73.2 (SD 11.8) among those with two or fewer recurrences (p < 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis). Psychological distress meeting the GHQ-12 caseness threshold (score ≥ 4) was present in 62.9% of participants, with severe distress (score ≥ 10) in 11.4%. A significant inverse correlation was observed between GHQ-12 score and overall quality of life (Spearman r = -0.62, p < 0.001). The most commonly reported coping strategies shifted with disease duration: avoidance of sexual contact predominated in the first two years after diagnosis, whereas selective disclosure and uptake of suppressive antiviral therapy became more prevalent after five years. Women reported higher psychological distress than men (median GHQ-12 5 vs 3, p = 0.004), though quality of life scores did not differ by sex after adjusting for recurrence frequency (p = 0.218). These findings underscore the substantial and sustained psychosexual impact of recurrent genital herpes and support the integration of psychological assessment and support into routine venereology care for this patient group.
Authors: Zoltán Galambos, Virág Hegyi
Institution: University of Debrecen
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7204231313