JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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To examine the extent and correlates of infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) in an inner-city community, we studied the prevalence of antibodies to these viruses and their association with risk behaviors in a representative sample of unmarried white, black, and Hispanic adults living in San Francisco, Calif. ⋯ HSV-1 antibodies were found in nearly two thirds of single urban adults and were most common among Hispanics not born in the United States. HSV-2 antibodies were found in one third of this population and were associated with risk behaviors for sexually transmitted diseases. For both facial and genital herpes infections, self-reporting of infection was very insensitive and moderately specific.