Let's Talk Study 1.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluating patient, parent and healthcare workers perceptions of herpes infections in pregnancy and the perinatal period and barriers to disclosure and enquiry
IRAS ID
338691
Contact name
Annalie Shears
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals Sussex
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 6 days
Research summary
Genital herpes affects up to 1 in 5 women in the United Kingdom and can pass from mother to baby during pregnancy or in the time after birth. Herpes can be a very dangerous infection to catch in the first month of life “neonatal herpes”, as babies don’t have fully developed immune systems, so the virus can spread rapidly though the body. Although rare, about 1 in 4 of these babies will sadly die and many more have serious disability. Most neonatal herpes infections are transmitted from mothers with active genital herpes to their babies during delivery.
We can help to prevent babies from catching neonatal herpes during birth by treating mothers with genital herpes with antiviral medications in late pregnancy or suggesting different options for delivery. Unfortunately, doctors and midwives often don’t ask about genital herpes during pregnancy and pregnant people may not want to tell anyone about it even if asked. In a large study in the UK only 48% of women with a history of genital herpes told a healthcare professional about it during their pregnancy. Doctors seeing unwell babies also rarely ask questions about possible contact with genital herpes or cold sores. Why these questions are not being asked, is unclear and unexplored in the UK.
This project aims to look at barriers to enquiry into sexual health history (by health care workers) and disclosure (by pregnant women) during pregnancy and in the time after delivery by conducting interviews and focus groups with pregnant people, people with genital herpes, parents and healthcare workers.
Participants will be recruited from clinical areas, antenatal clinics and sexual health clinics at University Hospitals Sussex. Participants will complete a short questionnaire and then if agreeable attend for a qualitative interview or focus group discussion at a later date.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/EE/0130
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jul 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion