Herpes Treatment Could Help Keep HIV at Bay

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The study also raises the intriguing possibility that a herpes vaccine might help control HIV transmission, too.

So far, efforts to develop a 100-percent effective HSV vaccine have failed, Nagot said. But immunization, "even if imperfect at preventing acquisition of HSV, might have a great public health impact at decreasing HSV shedding and indirectly at preventing acquisition or transmission of HIV," he said. "We hope our research (and that of others that will follow) will reinvigorate this field."

For now, getting inexpensive HSV-suppressing medications to people infected with both herpes and HIV seems reasonable, the experts said.

"Certainly for women, if they have evidence of HIV, this argues that you should give them something to suppress their HSV along with the HIV, and keep them on it routinely," said Keiser. He noted that Valtrex has a very good side-effect profile, even over the long term.

And Johnston said the study reinforces an important lesson.

"You come to the realization that dealing with HIV is not necessarily about dealing with HIV alone," she said. "Treating herpes is really a very important step towards trying to reduce the overall global burden of HIV, because we know that HSV is such a significant risk factor for getting HIV and transmitting it."

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