Genital herpes infections in private practice in the United States, 1966 to 1981.

We analyzed data on genital herpes infections in the United States from 1966 to 1981 collected by the National Disease and Therapeutic Index survey. The number of private physician-patient consultations for genital herpes increased tenfold during this period. The number of patient visits for newly diagnosed infections increased 7.5-fold. Women aged 20 to 24 years and men aged 25 to 29 years were more likely to consult a private physician for genital herpes than were patients in other age brackets. Our analysis suggests an increasing national incidence of genital herpes infections and supports the concept that genital herpes infections are epidemic in the United States.