No one knows for sure how many people have herpes. This is because it is common to experience only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Herpes is a skin condition that comes from the HSV. It may cause skin blisters, sores, fever , and body aches. Often, however, it causes no symptoms. Both types of virus are contagious, and there is currently no cure. Keep reading to learn more about how many people have herpes.
We also discuss the common myths surrounding this infection. This is the virus that most often causes oral herpes. This difference is due to the fact that women tend to contract HSV-2 more easily from sexual contact. Although herpes is common, many myths and misunderstandings surround it. Here are some of the most common ones:. Fact: Most people who have oral or genital herpes do not have any symptoms, according to the WHO. Therefore, a person may not know that they have herpes, which means that they could unintentionally spread it to others.
Fact: Not all cases of herpes spread through sex. HSV-1 often spreads through contact with the skin or saliva of a person who has the infection.
For instance, people can spread it by kissing, sharing utensils, touching an infected surface, or having skin-to-skin contact. According to the World Health Organization , 3. Another million people 11 percent between ages 15 and 49 worldwide have herpes simplex virus type 2 HSV But genital herpes is sometimes the exact same virus — just in a different location.
Allow us to set your mind at ease and debunk three widespread herpes myths:. It turns out you can have herpes without knowing it, even in a monogamous relationship. The herpes virus is the most infectious just before, during, and after an outbreak — when blisters are present.
Blood tests are not always accurate and testing for herpes can be tricky. If you are pregnant, there can be problems for you and your developing fetus, or newborn baby. How could genital herpes affect my baby? If you have herpes, you should talk to your sex partner s and let him or her know that you do and the risk involved. Using condoms may help lower this risk but it will not get rid of the risk completely. Having sores or other symptoms of herpes can increase your risk of spreading the disease.
Even if you do not have any symptoms, you can still infect your sex partners. You may have concerns about how genital herpes will impact your overall health, sex life, and relationships. It is best for you to talk to a health care provider about those concerns, but it also is important to recognize that while herpes is not curable, it can be managed with medication.
Daily suppressive therapy i. Be sure to discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider. Since a genital herpes diagnosis may affect how you will feel about current or future sexual relationships, it is important to understand how to talk to sexual partners about STDs external icon.
Herpes infection can cause sores or breaks in the skin or lining of the mouth, vagina, and rectum. This provides a way for HIV to enter the body. Even without visible sores, having genital herpes increases the number of CD4 cells the cells that HIV targets for entry into the body found in the lining of the genitals. Box Rockville, MD E-mail: npin-info cdc.
Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Genital Herpes. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease STD that any sexually active person can get.
While some people with genital herpes will never have any symptoms, other people can develop symptoms within a few weeks of being infected. Most people notice a group or cluster of blisters or ulcers lesions. These lesions burn and can be painful. They can appear on the buttocks, anus or thighs, on the vulva or vagina in women, and on the penis or scrotum in men.
Often, before the lesions appear, patients describe a prodrome, characterized by a tingling or burning sensation in the area where the lesions will develop that can be noticed during urination, along with itching or discomfort in the genital area.
The symptoms of genital herpes often go away and come back as recurring outbreaks. For most people, the first outbreak is the worst, and can last from two to three weeks. Future flare-ups are often less severe and do not last as long. Still, some people shed the virus regularly.
The following triggers can make outbreaks more likely to occur:. Recurrent genital herpes is most common in the first year after the initial infection and decreases as time goes on.
In many cases, anti-herpes medicine can help patients. When a person experiences a prodrome and suspects a recurrence is going to happen, they begin taking anti-herpes medications that lessen symptoms and shorten the time of the outbreak. Herpes can be spread when an infected person has lesions — blisters and open sores — on their body or when you do not have any symptoms.
Taking antiviral medicine can help you reduce the risk of spreading genital herpes to your sexual partners. You can also:. Many new herpes infections occur from partners who are shedding the virus asymptomatically, so condoms are highly recommended.
Condoms may not be an attractive option for monogamous couples or for couples who desire to become pregnant. Couples may opt to have serological tests to determine if either partner has an asymptomatic infection. In close monogamous relationships, the risks of transmission can be weighed against other relationship issues, such as intimacy and pregnancy. Genital herpes cannot be transmitted to another part of your body such as your arm, leg or hand after the first infection occurs. The immune system produces antibodies that protect other parts of your body from infection.
However, there are cases where a person has multiple site infections from the same virus. This is usually acquired at the time of the first infection. For example, if someone has never had herpes but then has oral and genital sex with an infected partner, they can acquire the infection at both sites. Yes: Genital herpes types I or II can be transmitted by oral sex. Cold sores are usually caused by HSV I.
If you have blisters in your genital region, your physician can order a test to determine if you have genital herpes.
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