Screening for subclinical genital herpes in pregnant females - A neglected practice.

Objective: The present study was aimed to screen the Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in cervical smears of clinically suspicious to asymptomatic pregnant women of local population.

Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Histopathology, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Pakistan from August 2021 to September 2022. A total of N=120 cervical smears were taken from the pregnant females of gestation age 18-38 weeks, visiting the outpatient department (OPD) of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Jinnah Hospital Lahore.