Association of herpes simplex virus type 2 infection and syphilis with human immunodeficiency virus infection among men who have sex with men in Peru

Abstract

Background. We evaluated associations between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection, and syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Peru. Methods. A surveillance survey of 3280 MSM was conducted; sexual behavior was assessed with a structured computer-assisted self-interview, and serum antibody testing was performed for HIV, HSV-2, and Treponetnapallidum. Results. HIV, HSV-2, and syphilis seroprevalences of 13.9%, 46.3%, and 13.4% were detected, respectively. HSV-2 seroprevalence was twice as high in HIV-infected subjects (80.5%) than it was in HIV-uninfected subjects (40.8%) (P