Psychosocial impact of a positive HSV-2 diagnosis on adults with unrecognized HSV-2 infection.

Objective: To evaluate the current research on the psychosocial impact of a positive herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) diagnosis on asymptomatic adults.

Design And Sample: A structured review of PubMed, CINAHL, and MEDLINE resulted in 8 articles published between 2000 and 2008.

Measures: Articles were included if they investigated psychosocial reactions to HSV serological testing, including asymptomatic individuals, and used measurement instruments with adequate psychometric properties.